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 brings the total deal value to approximately $3.85 billion for Niantic equity holders.

Scopely, a subsidiary of Savvy Games, announced that Niantic's games boast over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), over 20 million weekly active players, 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 maintaining the current games, apps, services, and events, assuring players of continued investment and support from the original development teams.

Pokémon Go's chief, Ed Wu, addressed player concerns in a separate blog post, highlighting Scopely's admiration for the community and team. He expressed confidence in Pokémon Go's continued growth and success under Scopely's ownership, emphasizing the shared vision for long-term development and maintaining the core gameplay experience. Wu assured players that the entire Pokémon Go team remains intact, continuing to develop features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, and live events. He stressed Scopely's empowering approach, allowing game teams autonomy to pursue their creative visions. He also highlighted the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company and the importance of the real-world community in shaping the game's future.

Niantic is simultaneously spinning off its geospatial AI business into Niantic Spatial Inc., receiving $50 million in investment from Scopely and $200 million from Niantic itself. Niantic Spatial will retain ownership and operation of Ingress Prime and Peridot.