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

Niantic Inc. has sold its Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now franchises, along with their development teams, to Scopely, a Saudi-owned gaming company, for $3.5 billion. An additional $350 million in cash will be distributed to Niantic equity holders, bringing the total deal value to approximately $3.85 billion.

Scopely, a subsidiary of Savvy Games, announced that Niantic's games boast over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), over 20 million weekly active users, and generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go, a consistent top 10 mobile game since its launch, attracted over 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic stated that its game teams will continue developing their existing roadmaps under Scopely's umbrella. The company emphasized its commitment to ensuring the long-term success of its games, promising continued investment and support from the same teams responsible for their creation. Players can expect ongoing development of games, apps, services, and events.

Pokémon Go's chief, Ed Wu, addressed player concerns regarding the sale. He highlighted Scopely's admiration for the game's community and team, expressing confidence in Pokémon Go's continued growth and success under Scopely's ownership. Wu emphasized Scopely's commitment to supporting the existing team, providing resources to maintain and enhance the gameplay experience. He reassured players that the core team remains intact and will continue developing the game, including features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest. He highlighted Scopely's approach of empowering game teams to pursue their own roadmaps, prioritizing player experience. Wu also emphasized the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company and Scopely's long-term vision, focused on the real-world community aspect of the game.

Niantic is separating its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial Inc., receiving $250 million in investment from Scopely and $200 million from Niantic itself. Niantic Spatial will retain ownership and operation of Ingress Prime and Peridot.