Savvy snags Moonton? PIF’s Savvy Games Group is buying mobile studio Moonton from China’s ByteDance for USD 6 bn, Bloomberg reports, citing people it says are in the know.

More titles in the bag: The agreement — which sees the TikTok parent exiting traditional gaming at a 50% premium on its 2021 purchase price — would bring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and its 1.5 bn installs under the PIF’s umbrella.

What’s next? The current management will remain in place as the agreement closes “in the near future,” according to Moonton CEO Zhang Yunfan in an internal memo the business information service says it has seen.

Why it matters

The acquisition aims to develop Savvy’s mobile games division and enhance its esports reach, Savvy CEO Brian Ward said in a statement. Savvy will expand its international footprint by entering Southeast Asia, where Moonton is most popular.

Gotta catch ‘em all: Moonton will join a Savvy portfolio that already includes Scopely, the Monopoly Go maker acquired for USD 4.9 bn in 2023, Niantic’s gaming division — maker of Pokémon Go — which Scopely acquired for USD 3.5 bn last year, and ESL Faceit, the esports tournament giant bought for USD 1.5 bn three years ago.

And in other gaming M&A news: Saudi’s Electronic Gaming Development Company has acquired a 5.03% stake in Japanese video game developer Capcom, Waya reports. PIF had acquired a 5% stake in the firm in 2022.

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