Niantic’s Game Development Business is Being Acquired by Scopely

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In a significant move, the game development company behind Pokémon Go, Niantic, is being taken over by Scopely. As per GamesBeat’s report, this acquisition is worth approximately $3.5 billion and encompasses all the games that Niantic has produced thus far, which include Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now.

Scopely, famous for creating Monopoly Go, is set to take over additional services and related apps run by Niantic, such as Campfire and Wayfarer.

Without a doubt, Pokémon Go stands as Niantic’s most successful game to date. By the year 2024, the game had amassed over 100 million distinct players. Moreover, it has consistently retained a user base of more than 20 million active users on a monthly basis. On the whole, Niantic announced earnings exceeding $1 billion in 2024.

As per the recent announcement, the studios that have been purchased by Scopely will carry on developing and releasing their games as originally planned, while sticking to their established content schedules. The studio heads, Kei Kawai and Ed Wu, are also set to join Scopely’s team to oversee the titles they now own.

According to Tim O’Brien, Scopely’s chief revenue officer and board member, they have consistently aimed at fostering significant relationships via a mutual passion for play. He admires Niantic games organization greatly as one of the finest worldwide in this pursuit. The team’s achievements over the past ten years, which include creating unique, engaging experiences that captivate a massive, lasting global audience and encourage people to explore the real world, have left Scopely inspired.

Excitedly, we anticipate speeding up the team’s inventiveness even more with our collaboration. Not many games have achieved both massive popularity and enduring success like ‘Pokémon Go’, managing to attract more than 100 million players only a year ago.

Apart from that, O’Brien discussed Scopely’s intention to maintain their current approach with hit games such as Pokemon Go, highlighting their ongoing plans for live events.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but marvel at the singularity of Pokémon Go – its knack for cultivating genuine in-person interactions is unmatched. Live events organized by Niantic have drawn millions, a testament to its appeal. It wasn’t long before my time with the Niantic team revealed a shared passion for crafting trailblazing results and extraordinary player experiences. Here’s to an illustrious future together!

Following the completion of the acquisition, Niantic intends to establish a new company, named Niantic Spatial Inc., which will specialize in geospatial artificial intelligence. This company will be led by Niantic’s founder and CEO, John Hanke.

It’s worth noting that although Scopely is set to acquire the licensed games business, Niantic plans to persist in creating their own AR games, specifically Ingress Prime and Peridot. These projects are expected to carry on with development.

Wrapping up their recent announcement, Scopely made it clear that as a gamer myself, they value the experiences I have with games like Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now. They emphasized that they want these developers to keep crafting these amazing worlds for us gamers, ensuring they have the creative freedom to continually improve our gaming journey.

As a dedicated admirer, I’ve always been captivated by the groundbreaking gameplay that Niantic’s team has crafted and the dynamic communities that have transformed these games into cherished experiences. I hold them in high regard for what makes their games unique – the liberty to discover, the camaraderie formed during the journey, and the exhilaration of exploration. In a recent statement, Scopely expressed their conviction that partnering with Niantic’s team, who will become part of Scopely through this acquisition, will empower them to reach their ambitious long-term aspirations, objectives designed primarily for you, the players.

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2025-03-12 18:12