ALBAWABA - Niantic, the American software development company best known for creating the augmented reality mobile games Ingress and Pokémon Go, has agreed to sell Pokémon Go and its other gaming units to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for approximately $3.5 billion.
Scopely buys Niantic Inc.’s gaming unit for $3.5 billion
Scopely, the American interactive entertainment company and mobile-first video game developer and publisher owned by a unit of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (Saudi PIF), has agreed to acquire the gaming unit at Niantic.
The acquisition includes several games, such as Pokémon Go, an augmented reality mobile game in the Pokémon franchise, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android devices.
Scopely will also acquire Pikmin Bloom, an augmented reality mobile game in the Pikmin series, developed and published by Niantic, and Monster Hunter Now, an augmented reality mobile game in the Monster Hunter series, developed by Niantic and Capcom and published by Niantic. The deal is valued at $3.5 billion.
Niantic recorded a total of more than $1 billion in the past year with over 30 million monthly users. (Shutterstock)
Notably, Scopely and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia will acquire the gaming unit and the team behind it together.
According to Scopely, Niantic recorded a total of more than $1 billion in the past year with over 30 million monthly users.
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired Scopely for nearly $4.9 billion in 2023 as the Kingdom aims to focus on video-gaming hub.
