Pokémon Go Dev Reassures Players Post $3.5B Sale to Monopoly Go! Company

Niantic Inc. has 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, for a staggering $3.5 billion. Additionally, Niantic is distributing $350 million in cash to its equity holders, bringing the total value of the deal to approximately $3.85 billion.

In a press release, Scopely highlighted the robust performance of Niantic's games, boasting over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), more than 20 million weekly active users, and generating over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go, in particular, stands out as a top-tier mobile game, maintaining its position in the top 10 since its launch nearly a decade ago and attracting over 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic emphasized that its game teams are poised to continue their ambitious long-term roadmaps under Scopely's umbrella. "This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to be 'forever games' that will endure for future generations," Niantic stated in a blog post. They reassured players that the games, apps, services, and events they cherish will continue to receive investment and be developed by the same dedicated teams.

In a separate blog post, Ed Wu, the chief of Pokémon Go, addressed community concerns about the game's future post-sale. Wu, who was instrumental in the game's development since its inception in 2016, expressed optimism about the partnership with Scopely. "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 stated.

Wu emphasized the continuity of the Pokémon Go team and their ongoing commitment to enhancing the game with features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events such as Pokémon Go Fest. He highlighted Scopely's approach of empowering game teams to pursue their creative visions autonomously, which aligns well with Niantic's values. "Scopely’s status as a private company also means we can prioritize what’s best for you, our Trainers, for the long term," Wu added, underscoring the shared vision between Niantic and Scopely to protect and nurture the real-world community of Pokémon Go.

Wu also acknowledged the crucial role of The Pokémon Company in the game's development, expressing gratitude for their continued partnership and shared vision. He concluded with a message of gratitude to the Pokémon Go community and a promise that the best is yet to come.

In other news, Niantic is spinning off its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial Inc., to accelerate its growth. Scopely is investing $50 million in this venture, with Niantic contributing an additional $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to operate other real-world AR games, such as Ingress Prime and Peridot.