Niantic Inc. has recently announced the sale of its popular titles, 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. The deal is valued at $3.5 billion, with an additional $350 million in cash being distributed to Niantic's equity holders, totaling approximately $3.85 billion.
Scopely, in a statement to the press, highlighted that the Niantic games portfolio boasts over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs) and 20 million weekly active users, generating over $1 billion in revenue in 2024 alone. Pokémon Go stands out as a major asset, consistently ranking in the top 10 mobile games since its launch and attracting over 100 million unique players in 2024.
Niantic expressed optimism about the future of its games under Scopely's stewardship, emphasizing that the development teams will continue to follow their long-term roadmaps. In a blog post, Niantic stated, "This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to be 'forever games' that will endure for future generations." They reassured players that the games, apps, services, and events will continue to receive investment and be developed by the same dedicated teams.
In a separate blog post, Pokémon Go chief Ed Wu addressed concerns from the community about the game's future post-acquisition. Wu, who has been with Pokémon Go since its inception, shared his belief that the partnership with Scopely would be beneficial. He noted, "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 enhancing the game with new features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events such as Pokémon Go Fest. He also highlighted Scopely's approach of empowering game teams to pursue their creative roadmaps independently, which aligns well with Niantic's vision. Wu reaffirmed the importance of the partnership with The Pokémon Company and the focus on real-world community engagement.
Additionally, Niantic announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI business into a new entity called Niantic Spatial Inc. This new company will continue to operate Ingress Prime and Peridot. Scopely has invested $50 million in Niantic Spatial, with Niantic contributing an additional $200 million, aiming to accelerate the growth and scaling of this venture.
Niantic's move to partner with Scopely is seen as a strategic step to ensure the sustained growth and development of its flagship games, while also allowing for the expansion of its geospatial AI capabilities through Niantic Spatial Inc.
