Niantic Inc. has announced the sale of its gaming division, including popular titles like 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 equity holders, bringing the total value to approximately $3.85 billion.
In a press release, Scopely highlighted that Niantic's games boast over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs) and more than 20 million weekly active users, generating over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go, in particular, remains a standout, consistently ranking among 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 committed to long-term roadmaps and will continue their work under Scopely's umbrella. In a blog post, Niantic stated, "This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to be 'forever games' that will endure for future generations. Players can expect that the games, apps, services, and events they know and love will continue to receive Scopely’s ongoing investment, driven by the same teams that have always created these experiences."
In a separate blog post, Ed Wu, the chief of Pokémon Go, addressed community concerns about the game's future post-sale. Wu, who was instrumental in the game's development since its inception in 2016, reassured players, saying, "As it’s always important to me, and our entire game team, that our community understands and is excited by the long-term vision for this game, I want to share why I believe a partnership with Scopely will be a positive step for all of you and the game’s future."
Wu expressed confidence in Scopely's commitment to the community and the game's mission, stating, "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."
He emphasized the continuity of the Pokémon Go team and their ongoing projects, including Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest. Wu also highlighted Scopely's approach to empowering game teams to pursue their creative visions independently, which aligns well with Niantic's values.
Wu further noted the importance of the partnership with The Pokémon Company, which will continue as it has for the past decade, ensuring the game's evolution remains true to its original vision. He concluded, "I won’t say that Pokémon Go will remain the same, because it has always been a work in progress. But how we create and evolve it will remain unchanged, and I hope that we can make the experience even better for all of you. I have so much gratitude for the incredible joy of serving hundreds of millions of Trainers in our real-world community for the past nine years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come."
In addition to the gaming division sale, Niantic announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI business into a new company, Niantic Spatial Inc., to accelerate its growth. Scopely is investing $50 million in this new venture, with Niantic contributing $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to operate other real-world AR games, such as Ingress Prime and Peridot.
