A New Developer Will Take Over Pokemon Go From Niantic After $3.5 Billion Deal

Niantic has sold its entire gaming division, including the hugely popular Pokémon Go, for $3.5 billion to Scopely.

The California-based developer will also add iconic franchises such as Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom to its library, joining the likes of Monopoly Go! and Marvel Strike Force, along with their entire development teams.

Pokémon Go VP’s Statement On The Buyout

“Scopely expressed a deep admiration for this community and our team,” Pokemon Go senior vice president Ed Wu stated. “I have every belief Pokémon Go will further flourish as part of Scopely, not only into its second decade, but for many more years to come, under the mission of discovering Pokémon in the real world and inspiring people to explore together.

“Scopely’s status as a private company also means we can prioritise what’s best for you, our Trainers, for the long term. We believe that prioritising short-term gains at the expense of our long-term mission would be counterproductive and self-defeating. Every interaction I’ve had with Scopely leaders has reinforced that we are in total agreement that the scale, longevity and most of all, real world community, of Pokémon Go make it truly special. We are united in protecting that.”

Niantic, meanwhile, will become Niantic Spatial Inc, a geospatial AI company led by founder John Hanke (via The Hollywood Reporter). Geospatial AI essentially means that the company will use machine and deep learning to predict the future of specific regions. However, it’s not leaving gaming behind entirely, as it will retain the rights to Ingress Prime and Peridot.

Systems

Released

July 6, 2016

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Niantic, The Pokemon Company