Scopely to acquire Niantic’s games business, including Pokemon GO, for $3.5 billion

Investing.com -- Scopely, a leading mobile games company in the U.S., announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire the games business of Niantic. The acquisition, valued at $3.5 billion, will include Niantic’s entire game development teams, popular games such as "Pokémon GO," "Pikmin Bloom," and "Monster Hunter Now," and companion apps and services "Campfire" and "Wayfarer."

Niantic’s games business boasts over 30 million monthly active players and generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024. "Pokémon GO" continues to be a global sensation, ranking as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch nearly a decade ago, with over 100 million unique players in 2024 alone.

The acquisition will expand Scopely’s diverse video game portfolio, which includes games like "MONOPOLY GO!" to "Stumble Guys," "Star TrekTM Fleet Command," "MARVEL Strike Force," and more. The combined portfolio will create one of the largest global player communities in the world, with over half a billion players in 2024 alone.

Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer and Board Member of Scopely, expressed admiration for Niantic’s ability to captivate a vast, enduring global audience and inspire real-world exploration. He also highlighted the unique ability of "Pokémon GO" to foster in-person connections, with its live events attracting millions of attendees.

John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, expressed confidence in the future of Niantic’s games under Scopely’s stewardship. He praised Scopely’s focus on building and operating incredible live services, its experience with world’s biggest and most beloved intellectual properties, and its deep care for its player communities and game-making teams.

Post-acquisition, Niantic will spin off its technology platform into a new standalone entity, Niantic Spatial Inc. Led by Hanke, Niantic Spatial will be a geospatial AI company that will continue to own and operate AR games "Ingress Prime" and "Peridot."

The Niantic game development team, along with long-time game studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu, will join Scopely’s workforce of over 2,300 employees across Asia, EMEA, North America, and Central America.

Ed Wu, SVP of "Pokémon GO," expressed excitement about the future of the game under Scopely’s leadership, promising to continue focusing on the excitement and experience of discovering Pokémon in the real world.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

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