Summary
- Niantic may sell its gaming division, including Pokemon GO, to Scopely for over $3 billion.
- Saudi Arabia's increasing interest in the gaming industry is seen through investments in Nintendo and others.
- Niantic's reported deal with Scopely is part of Saudi's drive to diversify its investments.
Niantic is reportedly looking to sell its video game division, known for developing Pokemon GO, to Scopely, a US-based entertainment company owned by the Saudi Arabian state-controlled Savvy Games Group, in a deal worth more than $3 billion. Saudi Arabia's rumored interest in owning Pokemon GO follows a period of notable activity during which the Middle Eastern country has increased its stake in the mainstream gaming industry.
A decade ago, in 2016, Pokemon GO burst onto the scene and emphatically put the augmented reality-focused developer, Niantic, on the map. Thanks to the AR game's massive popularity, the American developer has also had a chance to give established franchises, including Pikmin and Monster Hunter, an AR spin in recent years. However, post the pandemic years, Pokemon GO's yearly revenue has been dropping consistently, with 2024 marking the game's second-worst annual revenue performance, per Statista. And now, it looks like Niantic may finally be looking at options for a sale, with Scopely, the developer purchased by Savvy Games Group in 2023 following the success of Monopoly Go!, showing interest.
Pokemon GO Reveals March 2025 Community Day Classic Pokemon
Niantic reveals the featured Pokemon and new information for the limited-time Pokemon GO March 2025 Community Day Classic event.
According to Bloomberg, Niantic is in talks with Scopely to reach an agreement for the sale of the former's gaming business, which includes major titles such as Pokemon GO and Monster Hunter Now. The acquisition deal, rumored to be worth $3.5 billion, may be publicly announced in the "coming weeks." Even though takeover discussions may be actively progressing, the report acknowledges that anything could happen and that there's "no assurance" of the talks materializing into something real. In the event that the move goes through, Pokemon GO would effectively become a part of Scopely's parent, Savvy Games Group, which was founded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a state-controlled body chaired by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
Pokemon GO Deal Rumor Comes Amid Saudi Arabia's Growing Interest in the Gaming Industry
For quite some time, Saudi Arabia has been working on diversifying its investments, with gaming being one of its areas of interest. Since 2023, the state-owned PIF has been the largest external shareholder in Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, while also owning stocks in Activision, Capcom, and other major industry players. Importantly, the Middle Eastern nation is also set to host the first-ever Olympic eSports Games in 2025. The latest rumor of the PIF-backed Savvy Games Group potentially adding one of the most popular mobile games to its portfolio further legitimizes Saudi Arabia's growing interest in the domain.
As Niantic's reported deal unfolds in the background, its devs are busy working on new Monster Hunter Now content. In the build-up to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025, the AR title recently announced the arrival of a new monster on the day of the console game's launch.
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokémon GO is an immersive open-world multiplayer RPG that enables you to live your own RPG adventure in augmented reality. Find and evolve all Pokémon and battle with other players in AR online in this multiplayer adventure RPG.
COMPLETE YOUR POKÉDEX AND INCREASE YOUR TRAINER LEVEL!
Catch your favourite Pokémon as you explore the open world in augmented reality, trade them with other Trainers, or get the chance to catch a Pokémon after winning a Raid. You can also collect Pokémon by hatching eggs through walking! Evolve your Pokémon in your Pokédex, gain levels to catch more powerful Pokémon and earn adventure rewards during a Raid in multiplayer or online PvP battle.
EXPERIENCE THE ADVENTURE IN MULTIPLAYER AND PvP!
Start your own adventure and challenge other Trainers online in PvP during epic Gym battles or in the GO Battle League. You can also enjoy multiplayer by facing off with other players in PvP battles to win rewards, or team up with other Trainers for a chance to catch Pokémon after a Raid Battle.
CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!
Customise your avatar, join one of the three teams and pick your Buddy Pokémon from your Pokédex to journey by your side in this AR adventure RPG.
SWITCH BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD WITH THE AR+ MODE!
Bring the RPG to the real world and search for Pokémon in locations around you. With the AR+ mode, Pokémon appear right in front of you — Catch it with your PokéBall and add it to your Pokédex.
Catch your favourite Pokémon in AR as you explore the world and battle online with other Trainers in PvP and Raid battles.
