On March 12, 2025, Niantic revealed in a blog post that it would be transferring ownership of several prominent titles, including Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, to Scopely. This significant transition comes as part of a $3.85 billion agreement. Speculation surrounding this shift had been circulating since a February 19 Bloomberg report hinted at impending changes within the company.
The decision to transfer ownership stems from Niantic’s intent to concentrate on advancing its augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and geospatial technology initiatives, operating under the new umbrella of Niantic Spatial Inc.
Scopely Takes the Helm of Pokémon GO
Scopely’s acquisition of Pokémon GO, along with the two additional titles, involves a payment of $3.5 billion plus an extra $350 million in cash from Niantic, culminating in a substantial total of $3.85 billion aimed at benefitting Niantic’s equity holders.
Ed Wu, the head of Pokémon GO, highlighted in a separate announcement that Scopely plans to retain the existing development team and maintain strong community engagement. This continuity ensures that all current features—including Raid Battles, the friends system, GO Battle League, Routes, and Dynamax/Gigantamax battles—will remain intact and operational.
While game development was only one facet of Niantic’s broader vision, Scopely operates primarily as a game development and publishing entity. This specialization leads Wu to believe that the game will likely prosper under Scopely’s stewardship moving forward.
Initial reactions from the Pokémon GO player community were marked by skepticism regarding the ownership transition. As the news spreads, varying opinions within the community are expected to emerge, influencing discourse among players.
Nonetheless, Pokémon GO Fest 2025, set to take place in Osaka, Paris, and Jersey City, is proceeding as planned. Additionally, upcoming events scheduled for March 2025 and the ongoing Might and Mastery season are anticipated to be unaffected by this ownership change.