Pokémon Go Developer Addresses $3.5B Sale Concerns

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 is being 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 consistently top 10 mobile game since its launch, had over 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic stated that its game teams have exciting long-term plans and will continue development under Scopely. The company emphasized that players can expect continued investment and support, with the same teams continuing to create and maintain the games, apps, services, and events.

Pokémon Go's chief, Ed Wu, addressed player concerns in a separate blog post. He highlighted Scopely's admiration for the community and team, expressing confidence that Pokémon Go will thrive under Scopely's ownership, continuing its mission of real-world Pokémon discovery and exploration. Wu emphasized the continued partnership with The Pokémon Company and Scopely's commitment to supporting the team and providing resources to maintain and enhance the game's existing features, including Raid Battles, Go Battle League, and live events. He reassured players that the core team remains intact and that Scopely empowers its game teams to independently pursue their creative visions. Wu further highlighted Scopely's long-term focus, prioritizing player experience over short-term gains, and their shared commitment to the real-world community aspect of Pokémon Go. He concluded by expressing gratitude for the game's success and his belief in its bright future.

Niantic is also spinning off its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial Inc., with Scopely investing $50 million and Niantic contributing $200 million. Niantic Spatial will retain Ingress Prime and Peridot.