Savvy Games Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has officially closed its acquisition of mobile developer Scopely, following the receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals.
The acquisition was first announced this April, and at $4.9 billion is one of the biggest gaming deals of all time. The acquisition will see Scopely act as an autonomous business unit under the Savvy umbrella, utilising the long-term investment to grow and deepen existing franchises, target new audiences, and form strategic partnerships – as well as make acquisitions of its own.
Additionally, the acquisition will allow Scopely to extend its cross-platform development and live service expertise to PC and console, as well as explore new genres.
“For more than a decade, our incredible Scopely team has been dedicated to expanding the possibilities of play,” said Scopely co-CEO Walter Driver. “By combining our expertise and resources with Savvy Games Group, we will build an even brighter future for the games industry. Our shared commitment to excellence will enable us to deliver on our ambitious vision to bring immersive, highly engaging games to players around the world, across every device. This is just the beginning.”
“As part of the Savvy Games Group portfolio, we will be able to harness the collective power of our creativity, dedication to innovation, and world-class talent to shape the future of games,” said co-CEO Javier Ferreira.
“Together with Brian and the Savvy team, we will continue to build one of the world’s most diversified mobile-first games companies. Community and connection is at the heart of everything we do, and we look forward to delivering long-lasting franchises that delight players everywhere.”
Success in Saudi Arabia
Scopely has seen a massive boom in success in recent years, thanks largely to its games based on established IPs such as Star Trek: Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force. The company most recently found massive success with the release of Monopoly GO!, which saw the biggest casual launch of the last five years.
“This is the largest investment Savvy has made to-date, which is testament to our deep belief in Scopely’s mission and their talented, global team led by Walter and Javier. The recent success of their newest game ‘Monopoly GO!’ is indicative of Scopely’s ongoing position at the forefront of the global games sector, underpinned by their ability to reach diverse audiences through compelling player experiences,” said Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward.
“With the support of Savvy’s long-term investment, Scopely will continue driving innovation in the games sector for decades to come.”
We listed Scopely as one of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2022. We’ll be unveiling our list for 2023 in the coming months.
