Monopoly Go maker Scopely to acquire Niantic’s games business for $3.5B

Monopoly Go maker Scopely has agreed to acquire Niantic‘s games business, which includes Pokémon Go, in a deal valued at $3.5 billion.

The acquisition will bring Niantic’s entire game development teams as well as its games such as Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now to Scopely. And Scopely is also picking up companion apps and services Campfire and Wayfarer to Scopely’s diverse video game portfolio. The companies said the move highlights Scopely’s ongoing commitment to community-driven, social experiences.

The Niantic games business has more than 30 million monthly active players (MAU) and drove more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024. The deal is sure to send echoes through the game business, as the two mobile giants combine to create a single big entity.

Niantic’s Pokémon Go continues to be a global sensation, ranking as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch nearly a decade ago, with 100 million+ unique players in 2024.

The companies’ combined portfolio will create one of the largest global player communities in the world, with over half a billion players in 2024 alone. At Scopely, the Niantic game teams will continue to pursue their ambitious roadmaps, led by their long-time game studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu.

As one of the largest, fastest-growing companies in mobile games, Scopely is renowned for its highly social experiences that bring people together and make life better through play. The company’s always-evolving digital playgrounds – from “Monopoly Go to Stumble Guys, Star Trek: Fleet Command, Marvel Strike Force, and more – remain part of players’ lives for years on end. This acquisition signals Scopely’s ongoing commitment to and passion for play by further investing in beloved games with deeply engaged communities that span the world.”

“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, in a statement. “Few games in the world have delivered the scale and longevity of ‘Pokémon Go’, which reached over 100 million players just last year.”

He added, “The experience also stands apart for its unique ability to foster in-person connections, with Pokémon Go live events attracting millions of attendees. After spending time with the Niantic team, it quickly became clear that this organization shares our inclination to create industry-leading outcomes and exceptional player experiences. We look forward to a bright future ahead.”

With over 20M weekly active players, Pokémon Go has remained a top 10 mobile title every year since its launch in 2016. Pokémon Go players, also known as Trainers, have explored more than 30 billion miles together.

The beloved experience reaches players in over 190 countries and regions, uniting a massive, deeply engaged fan community that averages 40 minutes in daily playtime.

Approximately half of all players return to the game seven days a week. Unique in-real-life (IRL) events further propel the title, with Pokémon Go live events bringing millions of people together across multiple continents; two million tickets were sold for Pokémon Go Fest alone in 2024. Attendees have caught 150 million+ Pokémon since the gatherings debuted. I’ve caught a fair number of them.

Pikmin Bloom was created in collaboration with Nintendo. Niantic unveiled Pikmin Bloom in 2021 to help players cover the world in flowers. The title is closing out 2024 with a record-breaking year. The game hit its highest active player count more than three years after launch.

Players took 3.94 trillion steps in 2024 and gathered at in-person community events in Japan, the U.S., Germany, and Taiwan. Pikmin Bloom Journey brought together 10,000+ participants alone in Tokyo last year.

Monster Hunter Now is Niantic’s most recent game and it has taken players by storm, particularly in Japan. After launching in September 2023, the game reached 15 million+ downloads in just seven months. Its growing playerbase also quickly embraced IRL events, with nearly 20,000 people attending the first Monster Hunter Now Carnival event in Shibuya, Japan last October.

Over 50% of its audience plays every day of the week, representing a deeply engaged player community that mirrors those of Scopely’s existing portfolio.

Campfire and Wayfarer are social companion apps and services that drive deep engagement across Niantic games. Campfire connects local player communities for real-world gameplay, fostering IRL friendships. Wayfarer enables players to map new locations for their favorite Niantic games, directly shaping their adventures in the games they love.

These apps represent Niantic’s innovative approach to location-based games and highlight the team’s drive to continue elevating the player experience. In 2024 alone, 6 million+ people checked-in to in-person meet-ups via Campfire.

The Wayfarer community has added more than 11.5 million new Wayspot locations to Niantic games since its 2019 launch.

“Niantic games have always been a bridge to connect people and inspire exploration, and I am confident they will continue to do both as part of Scopely,” said John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, in a statement. “Scopely shares our focus on building and operating incredible live services, has exceptional experience working with the world’s biggest and most beloved intellectual properties, and cares deeply about its player communities and game-making teams. I firmly believe this partnership is great for our players and is the best way to ensure that our games have the long-term support and investment needed to be ‘forever games’ that will endure for future generations.”

Upon the acquisition, Niantic will spin off its technology platform into a new standalone entity, Niantic Spatial Inc. Led by Hanke, Niantic Spatial will be a geospatial AI company powered by a next generation map, enabling devices and machines to understand and interact with the physical world. Niantic Spatial and will continue to own and operate AR games “Ingress Prime” and “Peridot.”

All members of the Niantic gamemaking team, along with tenured leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu, will join over 2,300 Scopeleans across Asia, EMEA, North America, and Central America to continue to develop and operate their beloved experiences.

“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,” said Ed Wu, SVP of Pokémon Go, in a statement. “Our mission remains clear: to inspire people to discover Pokémon in the real world together. With Scopely’s full commitment, experience, and resources, we’re going to make Pokémon Go the very best it can be — from incredible battles for thousands of Trainers at a time at our live events to new ways to connect to your friends and community. Most importantly, we’ll remain focused on the excitement and experience of discovering Pokémon in the real world.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Niantic and Fenwick & West LLP is serving as legal counsel. J.P. Morgan is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Scopely and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as legal counsel.

Scopely sent a message to the Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now communities.

“We have long admired the innovative gameplay pioneered by the Niantic games team and the vibrantcommunities that have shaped the titles into the beloved experiences they are today. We deeply respectwhat makes these games special – the freedom to explore, the community forged along the way, and thethrill of discovery,” Scopely said. “We believe our partnership with the Niantic games team – who will all join Scopely through this acquisition – will further enable them to achieve their exciting long-term goals, which are designed first and foremost with you in mind.”