Technology Reporter
Getty ImagesSaudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) developer will play B 3.5bn (7 2.7bn) to buy the gaming division of Ninak, which includes hit mobile game Pokémon Go.
This game includes players in the real world for hunting players The collecting creatures, which appear on their phone screens using the increased reality.
Despite launching almost a decade ago, Pokémon Go is still among the world’s highest grossing mobile games, with 30 million monthly players.
The agreement has identified the latest move by Saudi Arabia to develop its gaming industry, which has spent billions of pounds in recent years.
Other games of Nentic, such as Monster Hunter Now and Pukin Bloom, have also been included in the acquisition, as well as employees to make them.
They will be part of the Scopali Ink – which was bought by the PIF subsidiary Sevi Games Group in 2023 at 9 4.9bn.
Scopley is the biggest name of mobile gaming, its most successful title, monopoly, has been downloaded more than 50 million times and has increased revenue of more than $ 3 billion.
Pokémon itself is a joint property of Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures, which licensed the brand to Ninteck so that it could develop the game.
Ed Woo, who leads the Pokémon GO team in Nantics, said in a blog post that he believes the move is a “positive step” for the future of the game.
“Pokémon Go is more than just a game for me, this is my life work,” he said.
“I will not say that Pokémon Go will remain the same, because it is always working.
“But there will be no change in how we create and evolution, and I hope we can improve experience even better.”
Saudi Arabia is becoming increasingly powerful in gaming.
Its PIF is at stake in some of the industry’s major publishers, such as Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Tech to Interactive.
It has also made waves in the Employees Industry, Saudi Arabia hosted a major tournament, including the Employment World Cup last year, with a prize of more than $ 60 million.
Riyadh will also host the 2027 planned Olympic Estports Games.
Saudi Arabia’s PIF has hundreds of billions of assets due to oil wealth, which it is investing in sports like golf, boxing and football, including the purchase of New Castle United in a $ 300 million contract in 2021.
It is controlled by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country, who has been accused of human rights abuses.
A 2019 UN report states that the “state of Saudi Arabia” is responsible for the death of Jamal Khashogi, which was criticized by the country’s government.
Saudi Arabia has always denied it.
