Saudi Arabia’s $3.5B Niantic Deal: Pokémon Go Owner Sold to PIF in Major Gaming Shake-Up
- paolo bibat
- Mar 26
- 1 min read
Updated: Mar 26
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has struck a $3.5 billion (€3.2 billion) deal to acquire the gaming division of Niantic, the developer behind global hits like Pokémon Go and Monster Hunter Now.
The move further cements the oil-rich kingdom's aggressive push into the gaming and esports industry.
The deal includes Niantic's entire gaming portfolio, including Pokémon Go (30M monthly players) and Monster Hunter Now. PIF also gains full control over Niantic's augmented reality (AR) technology, a key asset in mobile gaming's future.
Niantic CEO John Hanke called the deal a way to ensure "forever games" with long-term financial backing.
The fund already owns Scopely (Monopoly Go) and holds stakes in Nintendo, EA, and Take-Two.
The initiative also accelerates Saudi Arabia’s Esports ambition, with the Kingdom hosting the 2024 Esports World Cup (record $60M prize pool) and will stage the 2025 Olympic Esports Games.
Niantic's Ed Wu assured players the game will continue evolving but admitted changes are likely under new ownership.
