Niantic Inc. has announced the sale of its gaming division, including popular titles like Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, along with their development teams, to Scopely, a company owned by Saudi investment firm Savvy Games, for $3.5 billion. In addition, Niantic is distributing an extra $350 million to its equity holders, bringing the total deal value to approximately $3.85 billion.

In a press release, Scopely highlighted the robust performance of Niantic's gaming business, which boasts over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), more than 20 million weekly active users, and generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go remains a standout success, consistently ranking among the top 10 mobile games since its launch nearly a decade ago, and it attracted over 100 million unique players in 2024.

Niantic expressed optimism about the future, stating that their game teams have ambitious long-term plans that will continue to be developed 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 said in a blog post. They emphasized that players can expect continued investment in the games, apps, services, and events they love, all driven by the same dedicated teams.

Addressing community concerns, Pokémon Go chief Ed Wu shared a reassuring message. As the original engineer on the Pokémon Go codebase and a key figure since its 2016 launch, Wu expressed confidence in 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 commitment to ongoing development, including features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest. He highlighted Scopely's approach to empowering game teams as autonomous units, which aligns well with Niantic's creative vision. "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 a shared dedication to the game's community and real-world engagement.

Niantic also announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial Inc., which will allow for accelerated growth. Scopely has invested $50 million in this new venture, while Niantic has contributed $200 million. Niantic Spatial will continue to operate other real-world AR games like Ingress Prime and Peridot.