Is Pokémon Go in danger? 😱 Saudi Arabia is preparing a historic takeover!

A Deal That Could Change Everything

Is Niantic Struggling Despite the Success of Pokémon Go? 💰

While Pokémon Go remains a benchmark in mobile gaming, it has also become a burden for Niantic.
The company is struggling to replicate that success with its other titles, despite several attempts like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite or Pikmin Bloom, which haven’t generated the same buzz. The result: several rounds of layoffs and a major restructuring in 2023, with many projects being scrapped.

In this difficult context, selling its gaming division appears to be a strategic solution for Niantic, which could then focus on developing its augmented reality technologies. But selling Pokémon Go to a company controlled by Saudi Arabia immediately raises several concerns.

Saudi Arabia Wants to Make Its Mark in the Video Game Industry 🏆

The acquisition of Pokémon Go is part of a much broader strategy. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its Public Investment Fund (PIF), has already invested over $38 billion in the video game sector. It holds stakes in giants like Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard, and even acquired Scopely in 2023 for $4.9 billion.

With Pokémon Go, Saudi Arabia would no longer be content to be a major shareholder: it would control one of the most popular games in the world. A powerful lever to increase its cultural and economic influence on the gaming industry, just as it has already begun to do in soccer.

What this means for players 🤔

A change in the game’s monetization?

One of the first potential impacts concerns monetization policy. Scopely is known for its high-revenue games, such as Monopoly Go!, which generates no less than 2 million euros per day thanks to an aggressive business model based on microtransactions.

If Pokémon Go follows this trend, we could see:

• more expensive or more frequent battle passes;
• limited access to events without payment;
• and higher prices for in-game items.

For loyal players, these changes could alter the gaming experience and make Pokémon Go less accessible.

Saudi influence 🇸🇦 on content?

Another sensitive issue is the potential modification of the game’s content.
Pokémon Go relies on geolocation and offers events tied to real-world locations. With Saudi Arabia at the helm, one might wonder about:

• a focus on specific locations, particularly in the Gulf region;
• censorship of certain cultural elements, in accordance with Saudi norms;
• a reorientation of the game toward a more targeted market.

If these changes occur, they could affect the international player community, which has always appreciated the universal and inclusive nature of Pokémon Go.

A Controversial Acquisition

A Geopolitical and Ethical Issue ⚠️

The acquisition of Pokémon Go raises questions about Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the entertainment industry, a strategy sometimes referred to as sportswashing.

By investing heavily in sectors such as sports (acquisition of the Newcastle United soccer club, organization of F1 races) and video games, the country is attempting to modernize its image on the international stage.
But this initiative is not universally welcomed, particularly by NGOs that denounce the lack of respect for human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Risks to personal data?

One of the most sensitive issues concerns personal data management. Pokémon Go collects precise information on players’ locations, and selling it to a Saudi company could raise privacy concerns and issues regarding compliance with regulations such as the GDPR in Europe.

U.S. and European regulators could step in to oversee this acquisition, or even block it if risks of data leaks or misuse are identified.

What will become of Pokémon Go? 🔮

The game’s future will depend on the direction Scopely takes after the acquisition.

1. An economic revival

• Scopely injects new funds to develop innovative content
• New features and collaborations are introduced

➡️ Pokémon Go becomes more profitable but remains accessible to players

2. More aggressive monetization

• Price increases and a rise in microtransactions
• Limited access to events for free players

➡️ Gradual deterioration of the experience for non-paying players

3. A gradual decline

• Poor management of the game by Scopely
• Loss of interest from the community and a decline in the number of players

➡️ Shutdown of the game or relegation to the background in favor of new projects