Niantic, the company behind Pokémon GO, is selling its gaming business to Scopely in a $3.5 billion deal.
This comes as one of the biggest gaming acquisitions in recent years.
Why it matters: this means Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now will now live under Scopely’s umbrella. Niantic’s entire game development team is also moving over, ensuring these titles continue to thrive.
The backstory: Niantic originally set out to build a future around augmented reality (AR), but after years of struggling to scale its platform beyond Pokémon GO, it's now splitting into two companies—one focused on games, and the other, Niantic Spatial, pushing its vision for AR-powered AI maps.
Niantic Spatial will focus on building a real-world 3D map, fueled by $200 million in funding from Niantic and $50 million from Scopely
By the numbers: Niantic's games still pull in over 30 million monthly players, and Pokémon GO alone hit 100 million unique players in 2024—nearly a decade after launch.
The franchise has remained a top 10 mobile game every year since launch, generating over $1 billion in revenue last year.
Big picture: Scopely, the name behind MONOPOLY GO! and Marvel Strike Force, now owns one of the largest mobile gaming communities globally, crossing 500 million players in 2024.
For Pokémon GO fans, this deal signals long-term stability and new updates—because let’s be real, no one wants to stop catching ‘em all. 🎯
