A Saudi-owned gaming giant has bought the maker of Pokémon Go and other popular games for $3.5bn.
Scopely, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games, has acquired Niamtic Labs in a deal worth $3.5bn.
The deal for the leading mobile games company in the US is the latest blockbuster gaming investment by the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia buys Pokémon Go
It will bring Niantic’s catalogue of games, including Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now into Scopely’s portfolio.
The purchase of the makers of one of the biggest gaming hits of the past ten years will advance Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to become the ultimate global hub for gaming.
Saudi-backed Savvy Games snapped up Scopely for a reported $4.9bn in 2023 and the latest acquisition strengthens its portfolio.
As one of the most successful mobile games of all time, Pokémon GO continues its success today. The game reaches players in over 190 countries and regions. The franchise has amassed more than $8bn in lifetime revenue.
By enabling Scopely to acquire Niantic’s games business, Savvy is accelerating its strategy to become a global cross-platform, multi-franchise, live services leader, driving the long-term growth of the global games and esports industry.
Brian Ward, CEO, Savvy, said: “This acquisition is another example of how Savvy is supporting Scopely in accelerating its goals, underlining Scopely’s position as one of the most influential players in games today.
“The games, apps, and live experiences the team are set to bring on board are an excellent fit for Scopely, further diversifying their already well-developed slate. Niantic’s ‘Pokémon GO’ and Scopely’s ‘MONOPOLY GO!’ achieved two of the biggest mobile launches of the last decade, and it’s exciting that two of the top 10 mobile franchises in the world will now be within the Scopely portfolio.
“Scopely is a highly respected custodian of much-loved IP, and will bring a wealth of experience to the Niantic games business.”
Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer and Board Member, Scopely, said: “Savvy enables us to go after our long-term big ambitions, like transformative M&A, by providing ongoing support to pursue transactions of this magnitude.
“This transaction represents one of the largest games deals made by a private company in the last decade, ranking alongside Scopely’s own acquisition by Savvy in 2023 for $4.9bn.
“Scopely has done many acquisitions in its 13-year history, representing billions of dollars-worth of deals – from world-class games studios to groundbreaking games – and we look forward to formally welcoming the Niantic games teams to the Scopely ecosystem.”
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