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Who Owns Pokémon GO? Scopely Acquired Niantic’s Games Business

Scopely owns Pokémon GO after acquiring Niantic’s games business in May 2025. Here’s what was included, what remained separate, and who owns Scopely.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Scopely owns Pokémon GO after completing its acquisition of Niantic’s games business on May 29, 2025. The deal also included Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, Campfire, and Wayfarer; it was not a sale of all of Niantic. Scopely is wholly owned by Savvy Games Group.

When did Scopely buy Pokémon GO?

Scopely announced the agreement on March 12, 2025, describing a planned acquisition of Niantic’s games business for $3.5 billion. That announcement was not the closing: it said the agreement was subject to customary closing conditions. Savvy Games Group later confirmed that the transaction was completed on May 29, 2025, for $3.5 billion.

The $3.5 billion figure is the value stated in the companies’ announcements. The releases cited here do not detail the transaction’s legal structure or provide an independently audited breakdown of its consideration.

What did Scopely acquire?

The transaction covered Niantic’s games business, including these games and services named in Scopely’s March 2025 announcement:

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Pokémon GO Plus +
  • The packaging is Japanese, but item works the same as the US version.
  • Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
  • Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
  • Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
  • There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
  • Pokémon GO
  • Pikmin Bloom
  • Monster Hunter Now
  • Campfire
  • Wayfarer

Niantic said its technology platform would spin off as Niantic Spatial. That separate company would continue to own and operate Ingress Prime and Peridot. So, “Scopely bought Niantic” is too broad: the announced deal concerned the games business, while the technology platform and those two titles were described as remaining with Niantic Spatial.

Who owns Scopely?

Scopely is wholly owned by Savvy Games Group. In its May 29, 2025 announcement confirming the deal’s completion, Savvy said it had acquired Scopely in 2023. The ownership chain is therefore Pokémon GO’s games business under Scopely, with Savvy Games Group as Scopely’s parent.

Rank #2
Sale
Pokémon GO Plus +
  • Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
  • Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
  • Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
  • There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
  • Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)

What has changed for the Pokémon GO team?

In a 2026 update, the official Pokémon GO team said the Niantic games team had updated its name to Scopely Explore and that the Pokémon GO team remained the same. The team also restated its commitment to creating gameplay experiences for players. That is a statement about the team at the time of the update, not a guarantee about every future operational decision.

Scopely’s 2025 announcement included assurances and expectations about long-term support. Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke said he believed the partnership was the best way to secure long-term support and investment for the games. That was his rationale for the deal, not a contractual guarantee of future content, unchanged operations, or particular player outcomes.

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Rank #3
Sale
Pokemon Go Plus +
  • Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
  • Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
  • Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
  • There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
  • Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)

How large was the games business, according to Scopely?

Scopely’s March 2025 announcement reported the following figures. They are company-reported metrics in that announcement, not figures independently verified by the sources cited here.

Metric Company-reported figure Attribution and period
Monthly active players More than 30 million Scopely, for the Niantic games business in 2024
Revenue More than $1 billion Scopely, for the Niantic games business in 2024
Unique Pokémon GO players More than 100 million Scopely, for 2024
Pokémon GO Fest tickets sold Two million Scopely, for 2024
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Does the acquisition mean Pokémon GO’s gameplay or monetization changed?

The ownership announcements and the 2026 team update do not establish that the acquisition caused a particular change to gameplay, prices, or monetization. Ownership answers who operates the games business; it does not, by itself, prove why a specific game feature or business decision changed. For any individual change, look for a direct explanation from the game team rather than treating the acquisition as its cause.

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Pokémon GO Plus +
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Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!; Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
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Pokemon Go Plus +
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Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!; Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
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Pokemon Go Plus + (Renewed)
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Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!; Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
Best Value
Pokemon Go Plus + (Renewed)
  • Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
  • Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
  • Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
  • There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
  • Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
Rank #4
Silicone Case for Poke Go Plus + (2023), Go Plus Plus Cover Case with Strap, Soft Protective Case Shockproof Scratch-Resistant (Black)
  • Designed for GO Plus +: The case is specially designed for GO Plus + and its size fits the GO Plus + so well that the gaming switch will not move around and tumble in the case.
  • Premium Silicone Material for Comfort & Safety: Crafted from high-quality silicone, this case delivers a soft, pleasant touch while shielding your Poke GO Plus+ from scratches, dirt, and daily wear.
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  • Designed for GO Plus +: The case is specially designed for GO Plus + and its size fits the GO Plus + so well that the gaming switch will not move around and tumble in the case.
  • Package: Silicone Case x1; Hand strap x1. If you need any support please feel free to contact us.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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