When asked whether games like Pokémon Go will see things like advertisements or obstructive game mechanics, like an energy bar that drains every time the game is played, with more energy being available for purchase, Steranka said no. For context, these kinds of things are present in many smartphone games, especially if they’re free-to-play.

“If there’s one takeaway that I would love for people to have from this conversation, it’s that definitively no, that is not happening in Pokémon Go – not now, not ever,” Steranka said.

“Again, Scopely really recognises how unique this game is, and they’ve told us themselves that they would be foolish to try to change the recipe of what’s made this such a huge hit and a success. So yeah, absolutely not. We will not be building into our games any type of obtrusive ads or anything like that.”

“I just really want to reiterate Scopely as a company, the way that they operate is they give all of their teams the agency to make the decisions that’s right for their games. And that is not something that we feel would ever be right for Pokémon Go.”

Steranka also said that, while Scopely will be running the development team for Pokémon Go, the game will not be selling any of the data it collects from players to third parties. He reiterates that the only reason Pokémon Go needs a player’s location data is to make sure that the game runs properly.

“We do not sell player data to third parties, full stop,” said Steranka. “We only leverage location data to operate the game, and we store any location data needed to operate the game on US-based servers, and we follow all of the incredibly strict regulatory best practices to protect that data as best as we can.”

Scopely’s acquisition of the development team behind Pokémon Go, along with the teams working on Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now, was announced earlier this month. Alongside the development teams, Scopely has also acquired the licenses to run these titles.

As for Niantic itself, the company plans on continue running its own AR games, namely Ingress Prime and Peridot. The company plans to spin off its technology-based holdings into a new company dubbed Niantic Spatial Inc. This company will be helmed by Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke.

In a statement released alongside the announcement of the acquisition, Scopely told Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now players that it admires the audience that the titles have built up, and that Scopely wants to continue supporting the developers in making the games how they want.

“We believe our partnership with the Niantic games team – who will all join Scopely through this acquisition – will further enable them to achieve their exciting long-term goals, which are designed first and foremost with you in mind,” said the company.

Scopely, known for making Monopoly Go, will also be acquiring other Niantic-run services and companion apps like Campfire and Wayfarer.

Pokémon Go has by far been Niantic’s biggest game; as of 2024, it boasted more than 100 million unique players and maintained a player base of more than 20 million monthly active users. The company reported more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024.

According to the announcement, the studios acquired will continue to run their games and follow their planned content roadmaps. Studio leads Kei Kawai, and Ed Wu will also work on the titles under Scopely.

“Scopely has always been focused on cultivating meaningful communities through a shared love of play, and the Niantic games organization is one of the best in the world at this endeavour,” said Scopely’s chief revenue officer and board member Tim O’Brien in a statement. “We are extremely inspired by what the team has built over the last decade, delivering innovative experiences that captivate a vast, enduring global audience and get people out in the real world.”

“We look forward to further accelerating the team’s creativity through our partnership. Few games in the world have delivered the scale and longevity of ‘Pokémon Go’, which reached over 100 million players just last year.”

O’Brien also spoke about how Scopely will continue to run things as they have been going for popular titles like Pokémon Go, mentioning its live events.

“The experience also stands apart for its unique ability to foster in-person connections, with Pokémon Go live events attracting millions of attendees,” he said. “After spending time with the Niantic team, it quickly became clear that this organization shares our inclination to create industry-leading outcomes and exceptional player experiences. We look forward to a bright future ahead.”

After completing the acquisition, Niantic plans to spin off its technology-based holdings into an entirely new company, Niantic Spatial Inc. This entity will have Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke at its helm and will focus its efforts on being what it refers to as a “geospatial AI company”.

While Scopely will acquire the licensed games business, Niantic will continue to work on its own AR games, namely Ingress Prime and Peridot.

Capping off the announcement has been Scopely’s statement to players of Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now. In this statement, the company talks about respecting the games and wanting to allow its developers the freedom to continue developing them.

“We have long admired the innovative gameplay pioneered by the Niantic games team and the vibrant communities that have shaped the titles into the beloved experiences they are today. We deeply respect what makes these games special – the freedom to explore, the community forged along the way, and the thrill of discovery,” Scopely said.

“We believe our partnership with the Niantic games team – who will all join Scopely through this acquisition – will further enable them to achieve their exciting long-term goals, which are designed first and foremost with you in mind.”