In a major shift within the mobile gaming landscape, Niantic Inc. has officially announced the sale of its popular titles *Pokémon Go*, *Pikmin Bloom*, and *Monster Hunter Now*—along with their development teams—to Scopely, the Saudi-backed studio behind hits like *Monopoly GO!*. The acquisition is valued at $3.5 billion, with an additional $350 million in cash distributed as part of the transaction, bringing the total value to approximately $3.85 billion for Niantic equity holders.

Scopely, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, highlighted that the acquired Niantic games business serves over 30 million monthly active players (MAUs), more than 20 million weekly active users, and generated over $1 billion in revenue during 2024 alone. Among these, *Pokémon Go* remains the standout title, consistently ranking among the top 10 mobile games globally since its launch nearly a decade ago. In 2024 alone, it attracted over 100 million unique players.

A Long-Term Vision for Niantic's Titles

Niantic emphasized in a public statement that the move ensures long-term stability and continued innovation for its flagship games. “This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to become ‘forever games’ that will endure for future generations,” the company stated in a blog post.

The same development teams responsible for creating and maintaining these experiences will remain intact, continuing to focus on evolving the games they helped build. Players can expect ongoing investment and support from Scopely across all game features, apps, services, and live events.

Pokémon Go Leadership Addresses Community Concerns

In response to player concerns about the transition, Pokémon Go Chief Engineer Ed Wu expressed confidence in the new partnership. “Scopely expressed deep admiration for this community and our team. I believe *Pokémon GO* will further flourish under their leadership, not only into its second decade but for many more years to come,” he wrote in a reassuring blog post.

Wu reiterated that the core mission of the game—“discovering Pokémon in the real world and inspiring people to explore together”—will remain unchanged. He also confirmed that the entire *Pokémon Go* development team will stay together, continuing to guide the game’s evolution through features such as Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, Dynamax/Gigantamax, and large-scale live events like *Pokémon Go Fest*.

He praised Scopely’s approach to creative autonomy, noting that the company empowers individual game teams to pursue their own roadmaps and vision. This model aligns well with the team’s goals and promises a future where gameplay improvements and community engagement remain central to the experience.

Strengthening Partnerships and Expanding Horizons

Wu also reaffirmed the strong collaboration between Niantic, Scopely, and The Pokémon Company, which has been instrumental in shaping *Pokémon Go* since its inception. The trio plans to continue building upon the shared vision of real-world exploration and social interaction through Pokémon encounters.

Looking ahead, the team aims to enhance large-scale multiplayer interactions, deepen friendships and community connections, and expand support for Community Leaders and Ambassadors who help millions of Trainers engage in real-world play. As Wu noted, “The real-world community that loves *Pokémon Go* will remain our guiding light in all we do.”

Niantic Refocuses on AR Innovation

As part of the restructuring, Niantic is spinning off its geospatial AI division into a new independent entity called [ttpp]Niantic Spatial Inc.[/ttpp] This move enables the company to accelerate its work in augmented reality and spatial computing beyond mobile gaming. Scopely is contributing $50 million in funding to the new venture, which will also receive $200 million in backing from Niantic itself.

[ttpp]Niantic Spatial Inc.[/ttpp] will retain ownership of other AR-based titles such as *Ingress Prime* and *Peridot*, continuing to develop immersive experiences rooted in real-world exploration and location-based technology.