Pokémon Go Dev Moves to Reassure Players After $3.5 Billion Sale to Monopoly Go! Company Is Confirmed

Niantic Inc. has announced the sale of its games portfolio, 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, for a sum of $3.5 billion. Additionally, Niantic will distribute $350 million in cash to its equity holders, bringing the total transaction value to approximately $3.85 billion.

In a statement to the press, Scopely highlighted the strength of Niantic's games business, noting that it boasts over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), more than 20 million weekly active users, and generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. The flagship game, Pokémon Go, continues to be a dominant force in the mobile gaming market, maintaining its position as a top 10 mobile game annually since its launch nearly a decade ago, with more than 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic emphasized that the game teams have robust long-term plans that will be further developed under Scopely's ownership. In a blog post, Niantic expressed optimism about the future, 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 beloved games, apps, services, and events would continue to be supported and enhanced by the same teams that have been behind 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 from its inception and its monumental launch in 2016, shared his 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 like Pokémon Go Fest. He highlighted Scopely's approach to empowering game teams to pursue their creative visions autonomously, which aligns well with Niantic's values. Wu also noted the importance of the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company, which has been integral to the game's evolution since its launch.

Wu concluded with a message of gratitude and optimism, saying, “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 other news, Niantic is spinning off its geospatial AI business into a new entity called Niantic Spatial Inc., which will allow for accelerated growth and scaling. Scopely is investing $50 million in this new venture, with Niantic contributing an additional $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to manage and operate other real-world AR games, such as Ingress Prime and Peridot.