The AR mobile game Pokémon GO, developed by Niantic, has been a huge hit since its release in 2016. It has been almost 10 years since the passed, but millions still play it. Now, there is a report that Niantic may sell their gaming business—including Pokémon GO—to Saudi gaming company Scopely for $3.5 billion.
According to Bloomberg, an insider said that Niantic and Scopely are in negotiations. If successful, it could be announced within a few weeks. However, Niantic and Scopely's parent company, Savvy Games Group, declined to comment on the matter.
Many players aren't familiar with Scopely, but their parent company, Savvy Games Group, bought ESL and FACEIT in 2022—two big esports tournament organizers.
Players reacted differently to the possible sale. Some hope it will bring positive change and that the new owner will listen more to the community. But others worry—most of Scopely's games have aggressive in-app purchases and forced 10-second ads. They fear that they may have to pay $9.99 to remove ads from Pokémon GO or have more paid items in the game.
What will be the future of Pokémon GO?
