Pokémon Go Dev Reassures Players Post $3.5B Sale to Monopoly Go! Company

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 have ambitious long-term plans that will continue to be developed 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." They reassured players that the games, apps, services, and events they enjoy will continue to receive investment and be managed by the same dedicated teams.

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 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 enhancing the game with features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest. He highlighted Scopely's approach of empowering game teams to pursue their creative visions, which aligns well with Niantic's goals. Wu also noted the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company, which has been crucial to the game's development and success.

He concluded by expressing gratitude to the Pokémon Go community and optimism about the game's future, stating, "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."

Additionally, Niantic announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial Inc., to accelerate its growth. Scopely is investing $50 million in this venture, with Niantic contributing $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to operate other AR games like Ingress Prime and Peridot.