Bloomberg News quoted sources as sayingPokémon Go, the game developed by Niantic and The Pokémon Company, appears to be in talks to be sold to Scopely, a US interactive entertainment company and mobile-first video game developer and publisher, which is owned by Savvy Games Group, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The deal, which is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, is valued at approximately $35 billion. The agreement appears to include other mobile games besides Pokémon Go, but specific details have not yet been confirmed.
Niantic and Scopely have not responded to the rumors.
Pokémon Go, a mobile game launched in 2016 by Niantic and The Pokémon Company, leverages Niantic's existing geographic system, integrated with Google Maps, along with satellite positioning and augmented reality (AR) interaction. Combined with the Pokémon characters and the "Pokémon" (Pokémon) throwing experience, it quickly attracted a significant number of players and sparked widespread popularity.
Although "Pokémon Go" remains Niantic's highest-grossing game to date, and continues to maintain popularity through large-scale player events and subsequent updates, it has been difficult to replicate the success of "Pokémon Go" in the future.
For example, "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite", which was co-developed with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2019, was removed from various platforms in December 2021 and ceased operations in 12 due to its failure to continue to attract player support. Subsequently, it terminated several game development plans after laying off 2022% of its employees. Although games such as "Peridot", "Monster Hunter Now" and "Pikmin Bloom" launched thereafter still attracted many players, they still did not generate a gaming craze like "Pokémon Go".
