Scopely, Inc.
also invests Β· investor profileUnicorn exit Β· $1.7Bacquired by Savvy Games GroupLos Angeles, US Β· 34 known investors
Scopely is a mobile and interactive entertainment company that creates, publishes, and operates games across multiple platforms, powered by its proprietary Playgami technology platform. The company serves players globally through internal game teams and partnerships with studios across four continents, alongside its Barcelona-based creative agency FLAMED.
Also known as Scopely
Founders & leadership
Investors Β· 34
Also in the syndicate Β· 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Scopely, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher headquartered in Culver City, California, with offices across North America, Central America, EMEA and Asia and its largest location in Barcelona, Spain. The company creates, publishes and live-operates free-to-play mobile games, developing both original titles and games based on licensed entertainment brands. Its published portfolio includes MONOPOLY GO!, Pokemon GO, Star Trek Fleet Command, Yahtzee With Buddies, WWE Champions, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, MARVEL Strike Force, Scrabble GO, Bingo Bash, Tiki Solitaire TriPeaks, Stumble Guys, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, and the companion apps Campfire and Wayfarer.
The company operates through a mix of internal studios built from the ground up, studios added via more than ten acquisitions, and partnerships with external developers. Subsidiaries listed include DIGIT Game Studios, Genjoy, Omnidrone, GSN Games, Scopely Explore, Tag Games and Mirai. Scopely reported 3,000 employees as of 2025 and more than 15 locations as of 2026. Since July 2023 it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Savvy Games Group, which acquired it for $4.9 billion, while continuing to operate independently.
Founding story
Scopely was founded in March 2011 in Los Angeles, California, by Walter Driver, Ankur Bulsara, Eric Futoran and Eytan Elbaz. Elbaz had previously co-founded Applied Semantics, acquired by Google in 2003, and Bulsara had been a software developer at MySpace. The company launched its first free-to-play mobile game, Dice With Buddies, in January 2012.
Business model
Scopely creates, publishes and live-operates free-to-play mobile games, monetizing large player bases over long lifecycles. Games are produced by internal studios, acquired studios and external partner studios, and span original IP as well as titles licensed from entertainment brand owners such as Hasbro, WWE, Warner Bros., Marvel and Star Trek rights holders.
Free-to-play mobile games, which are downloaded at no cost and monetized in-game; sources cite lifetime revenues surpassing $1 billion as of June 2019 and annual revenue reported at more than $400 million in a 2020-era profile.
Traction
Scopely reported surpassing $1 billion in lifetime revenues in June 2019 and 3,000 employees in 2025. Pokemon GO, added through the Niantic games acquisition, has been a top 10 mobile game every year since its 2016 release and had more than 100 million users in 2024. Earlier titles including Bubble Galaxy With Buddies, Mini Golf MatchUp, Wordly and Skee-ball Arcade reached #1 on App Store free charts, and Yahtzee With Buddies exceeded one million downloads in its first four days.
Latest developments
In March 2025 Niantic announced plans to sell the majority of its video game business to Scopely in a reported $3.5 billion deal covering Pokemon GO, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now and the Campfire and Wayfarer companion apps; the deal closed on May 29, 2025, bringing over 400 Niantic staff to Scopely, with Scopely stating it would not make layoffs. Niantic's remaining non-game business was spun off as Niantic Spatial, in which Scopely invested $50 million. A year after the acquisition the team dropped the Niantic name and rebranded as Scopely Explore. Scopely was named to TIME's TIME100 Most Influential Companies list in May 2024 and again in June 2025.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
As of 2024 Scopely ranked as the #2 mobile video game developer in the world and #1 in the U.S. by revenue. It is described as best known for MONOPOLY GO! and Pokemon GO, the latter acquired with Niantic's games business in 2025.
The company combines internally built and acquired studios with external co-development partnerships, a proprietary live-operations platform (Playgami), an in-house creative agency (FLAMED), and a portfolio weighted toward licensed entertainment brands alongside original titles.
Technology
Scopely operates a proprietary technology platform, Playgami, described as supporting the development and live operations of its games.
Go-to-market
Distribution is through mobile app stores, where several Scopely titles have reached #1 on free app charts. The company builds franchises around licensed entertainment brands via partnerships (Hasbro, Skybound, Warner Bros., Niantic's Pokemon GO) and supports marketing through its Barcelona-based in-house creative agency, FLAMED, and a creator program.
Global mobile game players across casual, board/word, puzzle, party battle royale, RPG and 4X strategy genres, including audiences of established entertainment franchises.
Geography
Headquartered in Culver City, California, and founded in Los Angeles. Offices span North America, Central America, EMEA and Asia, with more than 15 locations reported for 2026 and the largest office in Barcelona, Spain. Additional presence includes Dublin (DIGIT Game Studios), Scotland (Tag Games) and the United Kingdom.
History
After launching Dice With Buddies in January 2012, Scopely followed with Jewels With Buddies and Bubble Galaxy With Buddies, the latter debuting as the #1 free app in the App Store, then Mini Golf MatchUp (April 2013), Wordly (September 2013) and Skee-ball Arcade (November 2013). Javier Ferreira and Tim O'Brien, both former Disney Interactive executives, joined in 2014. Licensed and partnership titles followed, including Yahtzee With Buddies with Hasbro (April 2015) and The Walking Dead: Road to Survival with Robert Kirkman and Skybound Entertainment (August 2015). The company opened a Barcelona office in October 2017 and said it had surpassed $1 billion in lifetime revenues in June 2019. Acquisitions include Space Inch's Disco Bees (July 2014), DIGIT Game Studios (May 2019), FoxNext Games Los Angeles and Cold Iron Studios from The Walt Disney Company (January 2020, with Cold Iron later sold to Daybreak Game Company), PierPlay (April 2020), GSN Games from Sony (October 2021, $1 billion cash and stock), Stumble Guys from Kitka Games (2022), Tag Games (June 2023) and the majority of Niantic's games business (announced March 2025, closed May 29, 2025). Savvy Games Group's $4.9 billion acquisition of Scopely closed in July 2023.
Risks & controversies
A 2020-era profile notes that after the launch of The Walking Dead: Road to Survival, programming errors caused game glitches affecting player usage; developers issued an apology and offered compensatory virtual items, which some users criticized as low value. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabian state-linked Savvy Games Group.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Competitors Β· 4
by search overlapCompanies competing with Scopely, Inc. for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Acquisitions Β· 1
Early investors' stakes continue via these dealsNiantic Labs develops mobile games and apps that encourage outdoor exploration and real-world community engagement through location-based gaming experiences.
Timeline Β· 25
launches, deals, and filingsOver 400 Niantic gamemakers joined Scopely; Niantic's non-game business spun off as Niantic Spatial, in which Scopely invested $50 million.
$3.5B source β
Reported $3.5 billion deal covering Pokemon Go, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now and companion apps Campfire and Wayfarer.
$3.5B source β
Scopely sponsored the Irving Azoff-produced FireAid benefit for Los Angeles wildfire relief; the event raised more than $100 million.
Scopely became a wholly owned subsidiary of Savvy Games Group while remaining independently operated from Culver City, California.
$4.9B source β
$4.9B source β
Sony Pictures took a minority stake in Scopely as a result.
$1B source β
Investment to co-create games and back developers in Europe.
$50M source β
Undisclosed amount; included MARVEL Strike Force. Cold Iron Studios was later sold to Daybreak Game Company.
Dublin-based studio and collaborator on Star Trek Fleet Command.
Collaboration later led to the 2019 acquisition of the studio.
Officially licensed Yahtzee game on iOS and Android; over one million downloads in its first four days.
Former Disney Interactive and Electronic Arts executive Javier Ferreira joined; former Disney Interactive executive Tim O'Brien joined as chief revenue officer.
Spelling game that reached #1 on the App Store top free apps chart; first Scopely game with single-player mode.
Reached #1 for free apps in the App Store in 49 countries and #1 on iPhone and iPad in the U.S.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
Identity security market sees startup funding, M&A and channel expansion | Biometric Updatebiometricupdate.com Β· Jul 2026
Europe Posted Its Strongest Venture Funding Quarter In 4 Years As UK Gains, M&A Holds Upnews.crunchbase.com Β· Jul 2026βΈResearch sources Β· 8
primary sources listed
- Scopely, Inc.scopely.com Β· web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Scopely, Inc. do?
- American mobile game developer and publisher behind MONOPOLY GO! and Pokemon GO, owned by Savvy Games Group since 2023.
- Who founded Scopely, Inc.?
- Scopely, Inc. was founded by Walter Driver.
- Who are Scopely, Inc.'s investors?
- Scopely, Inc.'s investors include Anthem Venture Management, Llc, BAM Ventures, Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Bonfire Ventures, BoxGroup, Cross Creek Advisors, Declaration Partners and 25 more.
- Who acquired Scopely, Inc.?
- Scopely, Inc. was acquired by Savvy Games Group.
- Where is Scopely, Inc. headquartered?
- Scopely, Inc. is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.