UPDATE: Pokemon Go and Monopoly Go will now be under the same Saudi-owned umbrella, as Scopely and Niantic press go on a deal

UPDATE (12/03/25, 1:00 PM GMT): Pokemon GO developer Niantic has now confirmed that it's agreed a $3.5 billion deal to sell the game - along with Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom - to Scopely. Niantic's Pokemon Go senior vice president Ed Wu has penned a lengthy blog post outlining to players the reasons why he believes this move will "be a positive step for all of you and the game’s future".

These reasons include that "Scopely expressed a deep admiration for this community and our team", "the entire Pokémon GO team is staying together through this partnership", and that the team is "joining a broader organization dedicated to games". "I won’t say that Pokémon GO will remain the same, because it has always been a work in progress, Wu added, "But how we create and evolve it will remain unchanged, and I hope that we can make the experience even better for all of you".

Meanwhile, Scopely wrote in its own post about the deal: "We have long admired the innovative gameplay pioneered by the Niantic games team and the vibrant communities that have shaped the titles into the beloved experiences they are today. We deeply respect what makes these games special – the freedom to explore, the community forged along the way, and the thrill of discovery.

"We believe our partnership with the Niantic games team – who will all join Scopely through this acquisition – will further enable them to achieve their exciting long-term goals, which are designed first and foremost with you in mind."

Original story follows:

It's a Wednesday, and I'm here to bring you news that - as far as I'm aware - two of the world's most well-known mobile games with Go in the name could be about to be owned by the same company, which doesn't also have 'go' in the name, and is owned by Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Pokemon GO developer Niantic is in talks with Monopoly Go publisher Scopely over a deal for the latter to buy the former's video games business element. About $3.5 billion, so several volumes more cash than you or I will ever see in our lives, is the repoted price tag currently being discussed.

Bloomberg adds that any agreement - if one is indeed reached - would almost certainly include Pokemon GO. As you might remember, GO was massive back in the days when TCG Pocket was yet to even become a glint in the eye of the big TPC that's dedicated to making lucrative things involving putting together an army of cute fake animals who'll then fight to the death on your behalf, you monster.

However, Niantic has struggled to replicate that kind of success in recent years, despite the likes of Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom doing pretty decently for it. MH Now, for example, has helped one of my coworkers realise he actually likes his mates.

Enter Scopely, which is owned by the Savvy Games Group that's part of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, and is riding the wave of Monopoly Go generating more cash than you'd need to buy the entire board several times over.

As you may be aware, Savvy's growing wave of investments across the games industry - including stakes in the likes of EA and Take-Two Interactive - have proven controversial due to the PIF being the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, whose ruler Mohammed bin Salman and government have been criticised for the country's human rights record. Bin Salman has also been accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.