Scopely is acquiring the video game business of Niantic for $3.5 billion, including its flagship title Pokémon Go, along with titles like Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now, significantly reshaping the mobile gaming landscape.
Details of the acquisition
Scopely will continue managing Niantic’s teams under their leaders, Kei Kawai and Ed Wu. This acquisition also includes Niantic’s companion apps and services, Campfire and Wayfarer.
Niantic’s gaming division reportedly has more than 30 million monthly active players and generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go alone has attracted over 100 million players in 2024 and consistently ranks as a top 10 mobile title since its launch in 2016.
Pokémon Go has played a significant role in popularizing augmented reality technology and has become a social phenomenon, with millions attending related festivals and events worldwide. Scopely noted that attendance at the Pokémon GO Fest last year surpassed that of major music festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza combined.
In terms of search interest, Pokémon Go’s global Google search volume recently exceeded that of the number one movie on Netflix and the number one song on Spotify by nearly eight and ten times, respectively, and it has outperformed searches for soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer of Scopely, stated, “Scopely has always been focused on cultivating meaningful communities through a shared love of play, and the Niantic games organization is one of the best in the world at this endeavor.” He expressed enthusiasm for accelerating creativity through the partnership.
Ed Wu, senior VP of Pokémon Go, remarked, “It’s been an incredible joy to serve hundreds of millions of Trainers in our real-world community for the past 10 years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.” He emphasized a mission to inspire people to discover Pokémon in the real world.
Post-acquisition, Niantic will be spun off into Niantic Spatial Inc., a geospatial AI company led by founder John Hanke, which will retain ownership of games such as Ingress Prime and Peridot. John Hanke expressed confidence in the partnership with Scopely, highlighting its focus on live services and commitment to player communities.
Featured image credit: David Grandmougin/Unsplash
