Niantic Inc. has announced the sale of its gaming division, including popular titles such as 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, for $3.5 billion. Additionally, Niantic is distributing $350 million in cash to its equity holders, bringing the total value of the transaction to approximately $3.85 billion.
In a statement to the press, Scopely highlighted the strength of Niantic's games, noting that the business boasts over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), more than 20 million weekly active users, and generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go stands out as a flagship title, consistently ranking in the top 10 mobile games since its launch nearly a decade ago, and attracting over 100 million unique players in 2024.
Niantic emphasized that its game teams are excited about their future under Scopely, stating, "This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to be 'forever games' that will endure for future generations." They assured players that the games, apps, services, and events will continue to be supported by the same teams that have been instrumental in their creation.
Scopely has bought 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 following the sale. Wu, who was part of the original engineering team for Pokémon Go and pivotal during its 2016 launch, expressed confidence in the partnership with Scopely. He stated, "Scopely expressed a deep admiration for this community and our team. I have every belief Pokémon GO will further flourish as part of Scopely, not only into its second decade, but for many more years to come, under the mission of discovering Pokémon in the real world and inspiring people to explore together."
Wu emphasized the continuity of the Pokémon Go team and their ongoing commitment to the game's development, including features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events such as Pokémon Go Fest. He highlighted Scopely's approach to empowering game teams to pursue their creative visions, which aligns well with Niantic's goals.
Furthermore, Wu reassured players that the partnership with The Pokémon Company will continue, underscoring the importance of their collaboration in shaping the game's future. He acknowledged that Pokémon Go is an evolving project, but the core approach to its development will remain unchanged, with a focus on enhancing the experience for players.
Niantic also announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI business into a new company, Niantic Spatial Inc., which will accelerate and scale its operations. Scopely is investing $50 million in this venture, while Niantic is contributing $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to operate other real-world AR games, such as Ingress Prime and Peridot.
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