- Acquisition will add Niantic’s world-class games team and games “Pokémon GO,” “Pikmin Bloom,” “Monster Hunter Now,”and more to Scopely’s diverse video game portfolio.
- “Pokémon GO” continues its success, ranking as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch in 2016, with over 100 million unique players last year.
- Combined, Scopely and Niantic’s games portfolios will create one of the largest global player communities in the world with over half a billion players in 2024.
- This deal and Savvy Games Group’s acquisition of Scopely are two of the largest games transactions by a private company in the last decade.
RIYADH – MARCH 12, 2025: Scopely Inc. (“Scopely”), the #1 mobile games company in the United States and a wholly-owned entity of Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”), announced today its agreement to acquire the games business of Niantic, Inc. (“Niantic”).
The deal, valued at $3.5 billion, will add category-leading games “Pokémon GO,” “Pikmin Bloom,” “Monster Hunter Now,” and community-builder companion apps and services “Campfire” and “Wayfarer” to Scopely’s portfolio. These games and apps delight over 30 million monthly active players (MAU) and drove more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024.
As one of the most successful mobile games of all time, “Pokémon GO” is an evergreen game that continues its success today. The game reaches players in over 190 countries and regions, uniting a massive fan community that averages more than 40 minutes in daily playtime. The franchise has amassed over $8 billion in lifetime revenue and driven more than 80 billion gift exchanges. Unique in-real-life events further elevate the title. Pokémon GO Fest and other live events have brought millions of people together across multiple continents, with attendees catching more than 150 million Pokémon since the gatherings debuted.
Niantic’s world-class team of gamemakers will also join Scopely, and will continue to execute on their strategy to deliver engaging, enduring games experiences to fans.
Savvy, a PIF company, acquired Scopely in 2023, bringing one of the fastest-growing mobile games publishers into its portfolio. The acquisition strengthened Savvy’s ability to deliver world-class games experiences, with Scopely achieving remarkable success. By enabling Scopely to acquire Niantic’s games business, Savvy is accelerating its strategy to become a global cross-platform, multi-franchise, live services leader, driving the long-term growth of the global games and esports industry.
Brian Ward, CEO, Savvy, said: “This acquisition is another example of how Savvy is supporting Scopely in accelerating its goals, underlining Scopely’s position as one of the most influential players in games today. The games, apps, and live experiences the team are set to bring on board are an excellent fit for Scopely, further diversifying their already well-developed slate. Niantic’s ‘Pokémon GO’ and Scopely’s ‘MONOPOLY GO!’ achieved two of the biggest mobile launches of the last decade, and it’s exciting that two of the top 10 mobile franchises in the world will now be within the Scopely portfolio. Scopely is a highly respected custodian of much-loved IP, and will bring a wealth of experience to the Niantic games business.”
Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer and Board Member, Scopely, said: “Thanks to Savvy, we are incredibly lucky to be one of the only games companies that is able to do deals of this scale. Since our acquisition in 2023, where we became an independently managed business unit under the Savvy umbrella, joining other complementary games companies, we have spent a good amount of time aligning on what we want to accomplish together. We collectively want to be a highly dynamic and impactful games company, and finding more exceptional teams and products to join our portfolio is key to accomplishing that mission. Savvy enables us to go after our long-term big ambitions, like transformative M&A, by providing ongoing support to pursue transactions of this magnitude. This transaction represents one of the largest games deals made by a private company in the last decade, ranking alongside Scopely’s own acquisition by Savvy in 2023 for $4.9 billion. Scopely has done many acquisitions in its 13-year history, representing billions of dollars worth of deals – from world-class games studios to groundbreaking games – and we look forward to formally welcoming the Niantic games teams to the Scopely ecosystem.”
Upon the acquisition completing, Niantic will spin off its technology platform into a new standalone entity, Niantic Spatial Inc. Led by Niantic CEO John Hanke, Niantic Spatial will continue to develop geospatial AI and augmented reality (AR) software for consumer and enterprise applications, and will continue to own and operate augmented reality games “Ingress Prime” and “Peridot.” Read more on the Niantic blog here.
Niantic games studios, along with their tenured leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu, will join the Scopely team to continue running the games business. The Niantic game making team will join more than 2,000 Scopeleans across Asia, EMEA, North America, and Central America to continue to develop and operate their beloved experiences.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
-ENDS-
About Savvy Games Group
Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”) was formed with a mission to drive long-term growth and innovation in the games and esports industry. Backed by its shareholder, the Public Investment Fund, Savvy deploys capital over long-term horizons through acquisitions, investments, and business ventures. By expanding its portfolio and growing the games and esports ecosystem, it is shaping the future of the sector on a global scale. As Saudi Arabia’s National Champion for Games and Esports, Savvy is also focused on developing the sector’s domestic ecosystem.
About Scopely
Scopely is a leading global interactive entertainment and video game company, home to many top-grossing, award-winning franchises, including the most successful mobile game ever launched MONOPOLY GO!, along with Stumble Guys, Star Trek™ Fleet Command, MARVEL Strike Force, WWE Champions, and Yahtzee® With Buddies, among many others. Scopely creates, publishes, and live-operates immersive games across mobile, web, PC, and console that empower a directed-by-consumer™ experience. Founded in 2011, Scopely is fueled by a world-class team and a proprietary technology platform Playgami that supports one of the most diversified portfolios in the games industry. Recognized multiple times as one of Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies” and as a TIME100 “Most Influential Company In the World,” Scopely has surpassed $10 billion in lifetime revenue due to its ability to create long-lasting game experiences that players enjoy for years. Scopely has global operations across North America, Central America, EMEA, and Asia, with additional game studio partners across four continents.
About the Public Investment Fund
PIF is the investment engine driving economic transformation for Saudi Arabia and the world. With an ambitious program to deliver Vision 2030, PIF invests in projects, companies and partners to diversify the Saudi economy, stimulate growth in every major sector, and create new opportunities for investment and employment.
And as a global investor and catalyst of change, PIF actively partners with the most pioneering organizations across the world to accelerate their growth, and transfer the technology and knowledge needed to build industry ecosystems of the future.
Since 2017, PIF has established 99 companies and is driving the transition to a more sustainable economy through strategic investments and partnerships across the Saudi public and private sector. PIF is laying the foundations for local and international partners to invest in the economic and societal transformation of Saudi Arabia.
For more information, visit the website at www.pif.gov.sa
About Niantic, Inc.
Niantic’s global-scale augmented reality platform and digital map power spatial computing experiences in the real world. Incubated out of the Maps team at Google, Niantic first created Ingress and then “Pokémon GO”, a cultural phenomenon and hit game played by tens of millions of people each month. Niantic’s maps platform, which powers “Pokémon GO”, also supports the company’s other games including “Pikmin Bloom”, “Peridot”, and “Monster Hunter Now”. Developers use Niantic’s platform to build their own AR applications and experiences.
Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Niantic, and Fenwick & West LLP is serving as legal counsel. J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor to Scopely, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as legal counsel. Bank of America is acting as financial advisor to Savvy.
Notes to editors
With this acquisition the games, apps, and live experiences joining the Scopely portfolio includes the following:
Pokémon GO
As one of the most successful mobile games of all time, “Pokémon GO” is a category-leading, evergreen game that continues its success today. The game reaches players in over 190 countries and regions, uniting a massive fan community that averages more than 40 minutes in daily playtime. The game has also driven more than 80 billion gift exchanges. Unique in-real-life events further elevate the title. Pokémon GO Fest and other live events have brought millions of people together across multiple continents, with attendees catching more than 150 million Pokémon since the gatherings debuted.
Pikmin Bloom
In collaboration with Nintendo, “Pikmin Bloom” is another Niantic innovation, which debuted in 2021. The game hit its highest active user count late last year – more than three years after launch. Players took 3.94 trillion steps (equal to 79 million trips around Earth) in 2024, and real-world events in Germany, Taiwan, and the U.S. brought communities together. In November, Pikmin Bloom Journey! at Tokyo Dome City drew over 10,000 participants.
Monster Hunter Now
“Monster Hunter Now,” Niantic’s most recent game has reached more than 15 million downloads just seven months after its launch in September 2023. Over 50% of its audience plays seven days a week and more than 20,000 Hunters attended the first IRL Monster Hunter Now Carnival event in Shibuya, Japan, last October.
Campfire
A social companion app driving deep engagement across Niantic games. “Campfire” connects local player communities for real-world gameplay, fostering IRL friendships. In 2024 alone, 6 million+ people checked-in to in-person meet-ups via “Campfire.” This experience represents Niantic’s innovative approach to location-based games and highlights the team’s creative drive to continue elevating the player experience.
Wayfarer
A social companion service driving deep engagement across Niantic games.“Wayfarer” enables players to map new locations for their favorite Niantic games, directly shaping their adventures in the games they love. The Wayfarer community has added more than 11.5 million new Wayspot locations to Niantic games since its 2019 launch. This experience represents Niantic’s innovative approach to location-based games and highlights the team’s creative drive to continue elevating the player experience.
