Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group is acquiring California-based mobile games company Scopely in a $4.9 billion deal.
Founded in 2011, Scopely's portfolio includes numerous free-to-play titles including Star Trek Fleet Command, Marvel Strike Force, WWE Champions, Scrabble Go, Yahtzee With Buddies and many more.
Savvy Games, which is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, says that Scopely will remain an autonomous operating company within the Savvy umbrella and that the acquisition will bring "Scopely’s development capabilities, publishing infrastructure, and differentiated technology to the Savvy ecosystem, along with a global footprint of talented gamemakers across North America, Europe, and Asia".
This forms part of Savvy's long-term investment strategy into the global games industry, having already acquired ESL Faceit Group in a $1.5 billion deal last year and esports platform Vindex this year. The company has also invested sums into companies such as Nintendo, of which it now owns a 5% stake, and Activision Blizzard.
"Scopely is one of the fastest-growing games companies today, and we have long admired their ability to build loyal, engaged player communities. At Savvy Games Group, our mission is to invest in – and grow – the global games community by inviting the best minds to join us," said Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group.
If approved, this deal would mark the sixth biggest acquisition in gaming history.
Scopely co-CEO Walter Driver, said, “Today’s announcement marks a major milestone in the Scopely journey. Savvy Games Group shares our long-held belief that the companies who have built the deepest relationships with their players will succeed.
"Together, as one, we will be able to further expand the possibilities of play, continuing to develop beloved game experiences for players around the world. This transformational partnership is a great validation of the incredible talent of our entire Scopely team and will further accelerate our efforts to drive the games industry forward.”
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