Monopoly Go maker Scopely has agreed to accumulate Niantic‘s video games enterprise, which incorporates Pokémon Go, in a deal valued at $3.5 billion.
The acquisition will convey Niantic’s total sport improvement groups in addition to its video games akin to Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now to Scopely. And Scopely can also be selecting up companion apps and providers Campfire and Wayfarer to Scopely’s various online game portfolio. The businesses mentioned the transfer highlights Scopely’s ongoing dedication to community-driven, social experiences.
The Niantic video games enterprise has greater than 30 million month-to-month energetic gamers (MAU) and drove greater than $1 billion in income in 2024. The deal is bound to ship echoes via the sport enterprise, as the 2 cell giants mix to create a single huge entity.
Niantic’s Pokémon Go continues to be a worldwide sensation, rating as a prime 10 cell sport yearly since its launch almost a decade in the past, with 100 million+ distinctive gamers in 2024.
The businesses’ mixed portfolio will create one of many largest world participant communities on the planet, with over half a billion gamers in 2024 alone. At Scopely, the Niantic sport groups will proceed to pursue their formidable roadmaps, led by their long-time sport studio leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu.
As one of many largest, fastest-growing corporations in cell video games, Scopely is famend for its extremely social experiences that convey individuals collectively and make life higher via play. The corporate’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.”
“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,” mentioned Tim O’Brien, chief income officer and board member of Scopely, in an announcement. “Few games in the world have delivered the scale and longevity of ‘Pokémon Go’, which reached over 100 million players just last year.”
Scopely Co-CEOs and CRO (LtoR): Javier Ferreira, Tim O’Brien, Walter Driver.
He added, “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.”
With over 20M weekly energetic gamers, Pokémon Go has remained a prime 10 cell title yearly since its launch in 2016. Pokémon Go gamers, also called Trainers, have explored greater than 30 billion miles collectively.
The beloved expertise reaches gamers in over 190 nations and areas, uniting an enormous, deeply engaged fan group that averages 40 minutes in day by day playtime.
Roughly half of all gamers return to the sport seven days every week. Distinctive in-real-life (IRL) occasions additional propel the title, with Pokémon Go stay occasions bringing hundreds of thousands of individuals collectively throughout a number of continents; two million tickets have been offered for Pokémon Go Fest alone in 2024. Attendees have caught 150 million+ Pokémon because the gatherings debuted. I’ve caught a good variety of them.
Pikmin Bloom was created in collaboration with Nintendo. Niantic unveiled Pikmin Bloom in 2021 to assist gamers cowl the world in flowers. The title is closing out 2024 with a record-breaking yr. The sport hit its highest energetic participant depend greater than three years after launch.
Gamers took 3.94 trillion steps in 2024 and gathered at in-person group occasions in Japan, the U.S., Germany, and Taiwan. Pikmin Bloom Journey introduced collectively 10,000+ contributors alone in Tokyo final yr.
Monster Hunter Now could be Niantic’s most up-to-date sport and it has taken gamers by storm, significantly in Japan. After launching in September 2023, the sport reached 15 million+ downloads in simply seven months. Its rising playerbase additionally shortly embraced IRL occasions, with almost 20,000 individuals attending the primary Monster Hunter Now Carnival occasion in Shibuya, Japan final October.
Over 50% of its viewers performs every single day of the week, representing a deeply engaged participant group that mirrors these of Scopely’s present portfolio.
Campfire and Wayfarer are social companion apps and providers that drive deep engagement throughout Niantic video games. Campfire connects native participant communities for real-world gameplay, fostering IRL friendships. Wayfarer permits gamers to map new areas for his or her favourite Niantic video games, instantly shaping their adventures within the video games they love.
These apps signify Niantic’s revolutionary method to location-based video games and spotlight the staff’s drive to proceed elevating the participant expertise. In 2024 alone, 6 million+ individuals checked-in to in-person meet-ups by way of Campfire.
The Wayfarer group has added greater than 11.5 million new Wayspot areas to Niantic video games since its 2019 launch.
John Hanke is CEO and founding father of Niantic.
“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,” mentioned John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, in an announcement. “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.”
Upon the acquisition, Niantic will spin off its know-how platform into a brand new standalone entity, Niantic Spatial Inc. Led by Hanke, Niantic Spatial will likely be a geospatial AI firm powered by a subsequent era map, enabling units and machines to know and work together with the bodily world. Niantic Spatial and can proceed to personal and function AR video games “Ingress Prime” and “Peridot.”
All members of the Niantic gamemaking staff, together with tenured leaders Kei Kawai and Ed Wu, will be part of over 2,300 Scopeleans throughout Asia, EMEA, North America, and Central America to proceed to develop and function their beloved experiences.
“It’s been an incredible joy to serve hundreds of millions of Trainers in our real-world community for the past 10 years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come,” mentioned Ed Wu, SVP of Pokémon Go, in an announcement. “Our mission remains clear: to inspire people to discover Pokémon in the real world together. With Scopely’s full commitment, experience, and resources, we’re going to make Pokémon Go the very best it can be — from incredible battles for thousands of Trainers at a time at our live events to new ways to connect to your friends and community. Most importantly, we’ll remain focused on the excitement and experience of discovering Pokémon in the real world.”
The transaction is topic to customary closing circumstances, together with regulatory approvals. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving because the unique monetary advisor to Niantic and Fenwick & West LLP is serving as authorized counsel. J.P. Morgan is serving because the unique monetary advisor to Scopely and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as authorized counsel.
Scopely despatched a message to the Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now communities.
“We have long admired the innovative gameplay pioneered by the Niantic games team and the vibrantcommunities that have shaped the titles into the beloved experiences they are today. We deeply respectwhat makes these games special – the freedom to explore, the community forged along the way, and thethrill of discovery,” Scopely mentioned. “We believe our partnership with the Niantic games team – who will all join Scopely through this acquisition – will further enable them to achieve their exciting long-term goals, which are designed first and foremost with you in mind.”
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