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

Niantic Inc. has announced the sale of its popular 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, for a staggering $3.5 billion. This deal also includes an additional $350 million in cash from Niantic, bringing the total value for Niantic's equity holders to approximately $3.85 billion.

Scopely has highlighted the robust performance of Niantic's games, noting that they boast over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), more than 20 million weekly active users, and generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024 alone. Among these, Pokémon Go stands out as a flagship title, maintaining its position as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch and attracting over 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic expressed optimism about the future, stating that their game teams are excited to continue developing their long-term roadmaps under Scopely's umbrella. "This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to be 'forever games' that will endure for future generations," Niantic emphasized in a blog post. They assured players that the games, apps, services, and events will continue to receive investment and be developed by the same dedicated teams.

In a separate statement, 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, reassured players of Scopely's commitment to the game's long-term vision. "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 stated.

Wu 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. He highlighted Scopely's approach of empowering game teams to pursue their creative roadmaps independently, which aligns well with Niantic's philosophy. Wu also noted the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company, which has been crucial to the game's development and success.

Looking forward, Wu expressed gratitude for the community's support over the past nine years and confidence in the game's future, promising to enhance the experience for players while maintaining the core mission of real-world Pokémon discovery.

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