Niantic Inc., the developer of Pokémon Go, is in discussions to sell its video-game business to Scopely Inc., a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, for approximately $3.5 billion, Bloomberg reported quoting sources familiar with the matter. A deal could be finalised in the coming weeks, though no agreement has been reached.
The sale would include Pokémon Go and other mobile gaming titles. Niantic, which became an independent company after spinning out of Alphabet Inc. in 2015, has struggled to replicate the success of Pokémon Go. The company cancelled multiple projects in 2022 and 2023 amid challenges in sustaining growth.
In August 2024, Niantic and Savvy Games Group entered a partnership to expand Niantic’s presence in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. If the acquisition proceeds, it would mark a significant expansion of Saudi Arabia’s gaming portfolio as part of its broader investment strategy in the global gaming industry.
