Mobile gaming firm Scopely is paying $3.5 billion to acquire the video game business of Niantic, including marquee asset Pokémon GO.
The deal also brings titles like Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now into Scopely’s portfolio, along with other apps and live experiences
Niantic’s teams will continue to be managed by their longtime game studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu.
Scopely is known for mobile games like Monopoly Go, Stumble Guys, Star Trek TM Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force.
Pokémon GO, first introduced in 2016, remains a global phenomenon. It attracted more than 100 million players in 2024 and has remained a top 10 mobile title every year since its launch. It ushered in the concept of augmented reality, capitalizing on booming growth of smartphones.
The social aspect of the game is a key part of its appeal, with millions of players also attending related festivals and events around the world. In a blog post announcing the deal, Scopely said more people attended Pokémon GO Fest last year than Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Tomorrowland combined.
The game’s global Google search volume in the past seven days was nearly eight times greater than the No. 1 movie on Netflix, nearly 10 times greater than the No. 1 song on Spotify, and topped searches for soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
“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. We are extremely
inspired by what the team has built over the last decade, delivering innovative experiences that captivate
a vast, enduring global audience and get people out in the real world. We look forward to further
accelerating the team’s creativity through our partnership,” said Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer
and board member of Scopely.
