Scopely is indeed acquiring the gaming business from the creators of Pokémon GO. The deal is valued at $3.5 billion
Rumors have been confirmed about Niantic's decision to sell its gaming division. The creators of Pokémon GO have struck a deal with Scopely, the developer of MONOPOLY GO!.
Pokémon GO
Scopely announced that it has agreed to purchase the division for $3.5 billion. Both parties have already signed the agreement and are now awaiting approval from the antitrust regulator.
Under the terms of the deal, Scopely's portfolio will expand with games such as Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, as well as applications Campfire and Wayfarer. The current leaders of Niantic's gaming team, Kei Kawai and Ed Wu, will continue to head the team.
Scopely expects the acquisition to have a positive impact on its business. The company noted that in 2024 alone, Niantic's games earned over a billion dollars collectively, and their total monthly active audience (MAU) reached 30 million people.
Niantic will focus on developing augmented reality technologies. The company has already announced the launch of a new subsidiary called Niantic Spatial, which will work on a "Large Geospatial Model" based on AI. Niantic invested $250 million into this subsidiary, with an additional $50 million received from Scopely.
As a reminder, at the end of last year, Scopely announced plans to make at least one "mega deal" by 2025. With the acquisition of Niantic's gaming division, it has fulfilled this promise.
Since 2023, Scopely has been owned by Savvy Games Group, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.