Scopely Acquires Development Teams Behind Pokemon Go and Pikmin Bloom – News

The existing team remains unchanged, so there’s a lot of excitement and anticipation ahead.

One of the major partners of Nintendo and The Pokémon Company has undergone a significant change in ownership.

Last month, whispers and rumors hinted at this, and now it’s official: Niantic has handed over its gaming division to Scopely, the team behind popular titles like Monopoly Go and Marvel Strike Force. The exact financial details weren’t disclosed, but the grapevine suggests the deal closed at around $3.5 billion.

Thankfully, for Pokémon Go enthusiasts, the division responsible for this beloved game will continue as it has been. Pokémon Go’s lead, Ed Wu, reassured fans that the core team is staying put. Pokémon Go emerged in 2015 as a collaborative effort between Niantic and The Pokémon Company, taking the world by storm upon its release a year later. Then in 2021, Niantic teamed up with Nintendo again to launch Pikmin Bloom, continuing their exploration of real-world gaming experiences.

Scopely, based in America, has a new owner too. In 2023, they were acquired by Savvy Games Group, a company with backing from Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, Savvy Games Group is also one of Nintendo’s significant external shareholders.