Pokémon Go Dev Assures Players Post $3.5B Sale to Monopoly Go! Firm

Niantic Inc. has officially announced the sale of its flagship games, including Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, along with their development teams, to Scopely, a company owned by the Saudi investment firm Savvy Games. The deal is valued at $3.5 billion, with an additional $350 million in cash being distributed to Niantic's equity holders, bringing the total transaction value to approximately $3.85 billion.

In a press release, Scopely highlighted that Niantic's games business boasts over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), over 20 million weekly active users, and generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go remains the standout title, consistently ranking among the top 10 mobile games annually since its launch nearly a decade ago, with over 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic expressed optimism about the future, stating that its game teams have "exciting long-term roadmaps" and will continue their work under Scopely's umbrella. The company emphasized that this partnership will ensure the games receive the necessary long-term support to become "forever games" that endure for future generations. Niantic assured players that the games, apps, services, and events they enjoy will continue to be developed by the same teams, now with Scopely's investment.

Scopely has acquired Niantic's entire games business for $3.5 billion. Image credit: Scopely.

In a separate blog post, Ed Wu, the chief of Pokémon Go, addressed community concerns about the game's future post-sale. Wu, a key figure in Pokémon Go since its inception and the original engineer on its codebase, expressed confidence in the partnership with Scopely. He highlighted Scopely's admiration for the Pokémon Go community and team, and their commitment to supporting the game's mission of real-world Pokémon discovery and exploration for many years to come.

Wu emphasized the continuity of the Pokémon Go team, stating that the same developers who have guided the game for years will remain intact. He outlined ongoing and future developments such as Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest, which will continue to evolve with Scopely's support. Wu praised Scopely's approach of empowering game teams to pursue their inspired roadmaps autonomously, which he believes aligns well with Niantic's creative vision.

Wu also noted the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company, which has been integral to Pokémon Go's development from the start. He reassured players that while the game will continue to evolve, the core approach to its creation and improvement will remain consistent.

In addition to the games sale, Niantic announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial Inc., to accelerate and scale its operations. Scopely has invested $50 million in this venture, with Niantic contributing $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to manage Ingress Prime and Peridot, Niantic's other real-world augmented reality games.