Saudi Arabia Buys Pokémon GO Developer Niantic's Gaming Division For $3.5 Billion

Niantic Inc., co-developer of the popular smartphone game Pokémon GO, announced Wednesday that it has agreed to sell its gaming division to Saudi Arabia's state-affiliated mobile game development company, Scopely Inc., for $3.5 billion, Kyodo News reported.

Pokémon GO is an augmented reality game in which users catch virtual characters that appear superimposed on their surroundings via smartphone screens. I Image: Pokémon GO

Niantic’s gaming division, which also developed titles such as Pikmin Bloom and Monster

Hunter Now, has over 30 million monthly active players and generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024, according to Scopely.

Following the deal’s conclusion, Niantic, formerly part of Google LLC, will transfer its technology platform to a new geospatial artificial intelligence company, Niantic Spatial Inc., which will be led by Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke.

The new entity will receive $250 million in funding from Niantic and Scopely.

Pokémon GO, launched in 2016 and a global hit, is an augmented reality game in which users catch virtual characters that appear superimposed on their surroundings via smartphone screens.

The franchise's other developer is Nintendo Co.'s affiliate, The Pokémon Company.