Who is Scopely, the new company behind Pokémon Go?

On Wednesday, Pokémon Go maker Niantic announced it was selling its games — which include Nintendo’s Pikmin Bloom and Capcom’s Monster Hunter Now — and the teams that make them to publisher Scopely in a deal worth $3.5 billion. While the news didn’t catch hardcore Pokémon Go players by surprise, Scopely’s acquisition of Pokémon Go was a source of concern, based on responses to the news from multiple communities around the game.

What will happen when the game changes hands? players wondered, with some assuming the worst. Whether the handover from Niantic to Scopely will have a positive or negative impact on Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now remains to be seen, but there are valid reasons for players to be concerned.

Scopely was founded in 2011 and launched its first free-to-play mobile games the following year: Dice with Buddies, Jewels with Buddies, and Bubble Galaxy with Buddies, three titles that draw heavy inspiration from Yahtzee, Bejeweled, and Puzzle Bobble, respectively. (Scopely also publishes an official Yahtzee game, Yahtzee with Buddies.)

Since then, Scopely has grown massively in size, and now boasts eight internal studios with more than 2,300 employees worldwide as of 2024, according to co-founder and co-CEO Walter Driver. Some of that growth has been accomplished through acquisitions. In 2019, the publisher acquired Digit Game Studios, the maker of Scopley’s Star Trek Fleet Command, and in 2020, it acquired FoxNext Games Los Angeles, the original developer of Marvel Strike Force, from Disney.

Scopely’s library of free-to-play games also includes hits like Stumble Guys, Bingo Bash, and Scrabble Go. But its biggest hit is Monopoly Go!, which grossed $3 billion in revenue faster than any other mobile game, according to research firm Sensor Tower. Monopoly Go!, which launched in 2023, is routinely one of the top 10 games in terms of revenue, according to Sensor Tower.

Saudi-owned Savvy Games Group acquired Scopely in 2023 for $4.9 billion.

Who is Savvy Games Group?

Savvy Games Group was established in 2021 by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. Savvy Games Group was founded with Saudi Arabia’s “economic diversification and social transformation” in mind, according to the group’s CEO, Brian Ward. Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and supposedly a “massive gamer,” serves as the PIF’s chairman.

Savvy Games Group has spent billions of dollars on game investments over the past four years, with minority ownership stakes in Capcom, Electronic Arts, Nexon, Nintendo, Take-Two Interactive, and the Embracer Group. Savvy also owns esports organization ESL FACEIT Group and a handful of game studios in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The group’s investments in game publishers, developers, and esports organizations have been controversial, similar to accusations of the PIF “sportswashing” — meaning investments in sporting events like the World Cup and the establishment of LIV Golf, a league alternative to the PGA, to improve Saudi Arabia’s global reputation. PIF’s chairman, Mohammed bin Salman — also known as MBS — is the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mohammed has been accused of ordering the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to reports of findings by the CIA.

Axios reported in 2023 that Savvy Games Group backed out of a $2 billion deal with Embracer Group that left the games publisher reeling. As a result of that failed deal, Embracer sold off studios, laid off employees, and canceled games.

What does Scopely’s acquisition mean for Pokémon Go?

That’s still uncertain.

Ed Wu, head of Pokémon Go and a senior VP at Niantic, said the move to Scopely “will be a positive step” for players and for the game’s future.

“I have every belief Pokémon GO will further flourish as part of Scopely, not only into its second decade, but for many more years to come, under the mission of discovering Pokémon in the real world and inspiring people to explore together,” Wu said in a statement. “Our new partnership, along with our decade long partnership with The Pokémon Company, means we can maintain this long-term focus. Scopely fully believes in our mission and ongoing goal to create the best Pokémon GO experience possible. Their focus will be to support our team, providing resources to continue delivering the gameplay you all know and love.”

Wu added that the “entire Pokémon GO team is staying together through this partnership,” promising that the “same people who have been guiding and building the game for years will continue doing what we love.”

Scopely co-CEOs Javier Ferreira and Walter Driver made a similar promise about the future of Pokémon Go, Niantic’s other games and services, including Campfire and Wayfarer, and events like Pokémon Go Fest.

“Players can expect that these games, apps, and events will stay true to the experiences they know and love and remain driven by the same dedicated development teams behind these beloved products,” Ferreira and Driver said in a statement. “Scopely’s role post-closing will be to empower the Niantic game team to pursue their ambitious roadmap by providing resources and support, all in service of giving players more of what they want from their favorite games.”

Some Pokémon Go players have voiced skepticism of the deal since it was first reported in February, fretting that free-to-play monetization through in-game ads and microtransactions would be implemented in a similar way to Scopely’s other mobile games. Pokémon Go already has multiple in-game purchases; players can purchase coins to spend on raid passes, increased storage, and cosmetic items. Niantic has also sold passes to events and special in-game research, and recently introduced a battle pass-like research track for Pokémon Go.

While players have occasionally grumbled over the increasing number of ways to spend money in Pokémon Go, some have expressed concern that a new owner will further exploit them through in-game purchases and pay-to-play mechanics. Others have expressed hope that The Pokémon Company International will rein in new owner Scopely to protect the Pokémon brand, which has made Pokémon Go a rare, enduring success under Niantic.

Time will tell what the transition from Niantic to Scopely will mean for Pokémon Go players, but one thing’s for certain: Those players who have stuck with the mobile game will scrutinize its new owners closely, hoping that Niantic’s promises will be kept by its new steward.