India, March 13 -- Scopely Inc, which is backed by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, is buying the gaming business of Niantic Inc for $3.5 billion, in a deal which includes the hit mobile game Pokemon Go.

The other games which will be part of the deal include 'Pikmin Bloom' and 'Monster Hunter', along with companion apps and services 'Campfire' and 'Wayfarer'.

Pokemon GO in particular, continues to rank as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch nearly a decade ago, with 100 million+ unique players in 2024, Scopely wrote in its blog post, adding that the combined portfolio will "create one of the largest global player communities in the world, with over half a billion players in 2024 alone."

"Scopely has always been foc...