The rumors have been true. Niantic’s video games division, which makes the augmented actuality megahit Pokémon Go, has been bought to cellular gaming powerhouse Scopely for a whopping $3.5 billion.
As confirmed by Niantic, Scopely, and the Pokémon Go staff, the deal will see your entire Niantic Video games operation snapped up by Scopely, which amongst many, many different issues makes Monopoly Go — one of many few cellular video games to attain the identical stratospheric degree of success as Niantic’s flagship.
That signifies that Niantic’s different present AR video games, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now, are additionally now owned and operated by Scopely, alongside the companion apps Campfire (for social connections between gamers) and Wayfarer (for submitting real-world Wayspot areas to the video games). Scopely mentioned that Niantic’s video games enterprise boasts over 30 million month-to-month energetic gamers and over $1 billion in yearly income — most of which can be pushed by Pokémon Go.
Scopely is U.S.-based however owned by Savvy Video games Group, a serious sport trade investor established by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Scopely is thought for terribly aggressive monetization in its video games, which embrace Stumble Guys, Star Trek Fleet Command, and Marvel Strike Power. This has triggered some nervous Pokémon Go gamers to threaten an exodus if the deal have been to undergo.
On the upside, Scopely says it intends to retain “all members” of the Niantic Video games staff. “Scopely empowers their sport groups as autonomous teams to go after the roadmaps that they’re impressed to pursue, and what every staff believes is greatest for the participant expertise,” mentioned Pokémon Go chief Ed Wu. “This method is extraordinarily interesting to us at Niantic video games. I’ve spoken to quite a lot of sport leaders at Scopely who’ve given me nice confidence in how the corporate permits every sport to independently develop and creatively thrive.”
Niantic’s geospatial tech platform, on which its video games have been constructed, can be spun off into a brand new, separate enterprise referred to as Niantic Spatial. This enterprise will retain possession of Niantic’s unique AR sport Ingress Prime and its digital pet sport Peridot.
