Niantic calms Pokémon Go fans after $3.5B sale to Scopely

Niantic Inc. has finalized the sale of Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, and their development teams to Saudi-backed Scopely, creators of Monopoly Go!, in a $3.5 billion deal.

The transaction includes an additional $350 million cash distribution from Niantic, bringing the total valuation to approximately $3.85 billion for shareholders.

Savvy Games-owned Scopely revealed that Niantic's gaming division boasts impressive metrics: over 30 million monthly active users, 20 million weekly players, and surpassing $1 billion in 2024 revenue. Pokémon Go remains the crown jewel, maintaining its top 10 mobile game status since its 2016 debut and attracting over 100 million unique players this year.

Niantic confirmed its development teams will maintain their current creative direction under Scopely ownership, stating: "This strategic move guarantees our games receive the sustained support needed to become enduring franchises."

The company reassured players that "all current games, features, and events will continue uninterrupted, with ongoing investment from Scopely while maintaining the original creative teams."

Pokémon Go lead Ed Wu addressed community concerns in a detailed statement, emphasizing the game's future prospects under new ownership. As the original engineer behind Pokémon Go's core technology, Wu expressed confidence in Scopely's stewardship.

"Scopely has demonstrated profound respect for our player community and development philosophy," Wu noted. "I'm convinced this partnership will propel Pokémon Go into its second decade and beyond, staying true to our mission of real-world exploration and social connection."

Wu highlighted several key assurances:

• The complete Pokémon Go team will remain intact
• Current game features and events will continue expanding
• Scopely will maintain Niantic's player-first development approach
• The Pokémon Company partnership remains unchanged
• Community programs and real-world events will receive increased support

"Scopely's private ownership structure allows us to prioritize long-term player experience over short-term monetization," Wu added. "Their track record of supporting autonomous development teams aligns perfectly with our creative vision."

The executive also teased future enhancements, including larger-scale live events and new social features, while reaffirming the game's core focus on real-world Pokémon discovery.

In parallel developments, Niantic announced the spin-off of its geospatial AI division into Niantic Spatial Inc., with Scopely contributing $50 million alongside Niantic's $200 million investment. The new entity will continue operating Ingress Prime and Peridot while accelerating its AR technology development.