Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Monster Hunter Now, Niantic, Pikmin Bloom, Pokémon GO, Scopley | Tagged: Scopely

Scopely Announces Niantic Games Acquisition For $3.5B

Scopely is about to take over one of the biggest mobile developers on the planet with the acquisition of Niantic Games, announced today

Published Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:12:08 -0500

by Gavin Sheehan

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Article Summary

Scopely to acquire Niantic Games for $3.5B, shaking up the mobile gaming landscape.
Scopely focuses on social gaming with top titles like Monopoly GO, Stumble Guys, and more.
Niantic's Pokémon GO lauded for real-world interactions and 100 million players last year.
Leaders express excitement for partnership, enhancing player communities and game longevity.

After a few weeks of rumor and talks, it has been confirmed this morning that mobile publisher Scopely will acquire Niantic Games for $3.5b. The move marks a major shift in the mobile landscape, as they will essentially take over one of the biggest and most popular developers on the planet, who, as you can see from the graphic below, operate three major IPs. The biggest concern on social media this morning following the announcement is what will become of Niantic's staff post-acquisition. The announcement made it clear they would take on the entire staff across multiple studios. However, with the industry in a layoff-frenzy we've seen over the past few years, we're kind of waiting to see what happens a few months after they finalize the deal. We have more info and a couple of quotes from the announcement for you below as we now wait for the deal to be finalized and the fallout to happen.

Scopely Announces Niantic Games Acquisition For $3.5B — Credit: Scopely

Scopely x Niantic Games Acquisition

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.

Upon the acquisition, Niantic will spin off its technology platform into a new standalone entity, Niantic Spatial Inc. Led by John 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 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.

"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. "Few games in the world have delivered the scale and longevity of Pokémon GO, which reached over 100 million players just last year. 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."

"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. "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."

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