How Scopely’s cultural tenent of ‘iterate to greatness’ led to $10bn in revenue

Mobile-first game developer Scopely has achieved remarkable success with its hit title, Monopoly Go, which launched in April 2023.

In just over a year, the game generated over $3 billion in revenue, cementing its position as a standout performer both for the studio and the broader mobile gaming industry.

While Monopoly Go is a stand-out achievement, Scopely has seen success across much of its portfolio, including titles such as Yahtzee with Buddies, Marvel Strike Force, Star Trek: Fleet Command, and the cross-platform title Stumble Guys, which boasts over 50 million monthly players.

As we begin 2025, Scopely’s Co-CEOs Walter Driver and Javier Ferreira sat down with Pocketgamer.biz to reflect on 2024, Monopoly Go’s impact on the studio, and their vision for the future.

A year of challenges and achievements

The games industry has faced numerous hurdles in recent years, and 2024 was no exception. From widespread layoffs to evolving market dynamics, including privacy changes and rising development costs, studios have had to adapt. For Scopely, 2024 was a year of “both successes and failures, along with many learnings,” according to Driver.

“Having a long-term mindset is critical to game-making,” he explains. “Our culture is rooted in perseverance, which makes the year’s outcomes so gratifying for our teams.”

Ferreira echoes this sentiment, highlighting key accomplishments, such as surpassing 15 million hours of playtime, reaching one billion downloads, and achieving $10 billion in lifetime revenue as a company. These milestones were among the reasons Pocketgamer.biz named Scopely the number one Game Maker in our Top 50 list for 2024, and why the industry voted it Best Publisher and Monopoly Go as Game of the Year at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024.

“This recognition from our peers is incredible for our teams,” says Ferreira. “This year, we achieved key milestones that allowed us to pause and celebrate the adventure that is Scopely.”

The success of Monopoly Go and making milestones

One of Scopely’s most notable achievements in 2024 was the continued success of Monopoly Go. The game not only became the most successful mobile game launch of all time but also came full circle as it inspired a physical board game version. The title also saw a star-studded ad campaign featuring Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt, Jason Momoa, and Keke Palmer.

“Monopoly Go has expanded our vision of what a game experience — especially a casual one — can be,” says Ferreira.

“The journey to its success reflects the dedication, conviction, and resilience of our team. One of our core cultural tenets is to ‘iterate to greatness,’  which roots us in a need to always learn and pivot as needed and have space for failure. This is the philosophy behind everything we do.”

Ferreria emphasises the team’s long-term commitment to innovation and player engagement during the development journey of Monopoly Go.

“In live services, our work is never done,” he says.

“Greatness is a moving target to ensure we’re staying committed to our players’ experience. Monopoly Go is a product of this mindset.

“The game’s seven-year journey to launch and subsequent deep engagement from players further highlighted and solidified how important it is for our culture tenets to drive our decisions, as without them, I’m not sure Monopoly Go would have made it to launch.”

Crafting experiences and leveraging IP

Scopely’s approach to new projects is centered on creating experiences that resonate emotionally with players. Ferreira explains that all projects begin with a focus on the audience.

“Greenlighting a project involves extensive exploration to uncover the ‘magic’ of a project, ensuring that it meets our high standards and delivers something truly special for players,” he states.

When working with established intellectual properties — which the publisher has extensive exprience in — Scopely prioritises staying true to the essence of the franchise while introducing fresh elements for players. Ferreira cites Star Trek: Fleet Command as an example of a game that captures the spirit of its source material while offering a deeply engaging experience that feels fresh.

“Finding the right game-makers for the right property, and subsequent game genre, is also crucial for an authentic and innovative experience,” he says. “We prioritise partnerships with brands that share our vision, and build a team that’s extremely passionate about making that vision come to life.

“Our work with Hasbro is a great example of a collaborative partnership with both sides respecting the original brands along with having a desire to expand them further. As one of our earliest partners, we’ve now created three reimagined experiences of their iconic properties.

“That trust and understanding of what makes a game partnership work is what ultimately led to the great outputs of these games.”

Strategic growth through partnerships and acquisitions

In 2023, the studio was acquired by Savvy Games Group for $4.9 billion, marking one of the largest deals in gaming history. Despite the acquisition, Scopely has retained its independence under the Savvy umbrella.

“Our partnership with Savvy has provided us with a long-term mindset, enabling us to bring new talent and ideas into our growing ecosystem,” says Driver. “What we shared when we signed the deal is exactly what has taken shape, with Scopely operating as an autonomous business unit under Savvy.”

Driver states that M&A has been a key element of the Scopely strategy. Having “completed billions of dollars of deals” over the last few years, he says its “track record establishes us as a driving force in a competitive industry”. Something which the studio has acted upon recently with the acquisition of Perfect World’s Chengfeng Studio in a $34.5 million deal.

Looking ahead to 2025

As Scopely enters 2025, it is poised for continued growth. The company’s chief revenue officer Tim O’Brien stated just a few months ago that it hopes to announce a “mega deal” this year, potentially for a franchise “doing hopefully at least a billion dollars in revenue”. Driver and Ferreira did not elaborate on any specifics when asked.

With a robust M&A strategy, successful partnerships with major IP holders, and a proven ability to transform beloved brands into hit games, the studio appears well-positioned for the future.

“We are hyper-focused on our entire live portfolio and have an ambitious and highly diverse in-development slate that will continue to reflect our mission to inspire play,
every day,” concludes Ferreira.

“We want to keep pushing the boundaries of socially-driven, innovative game experiences.”