Savvy Games to Acquire Mobile Legends Maker Moonton in $6B Deal from ByteDance

Moontoon Co-Founder, Yuan Jing

Savvy Games Group, a gaming company backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has agreed to acquire Moonton, the developer of the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, from ByteDance.

According to sources familiar with the matter, an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg valued the deal at approximately $6 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed in the coming period.

Savvy plans to retain Moonton’s current management team while offering incentives to employees to maintain operational stability and support continued growth.

The acquisition is intended to accelerate Savvy’s expansion in the mobile gaming sector and strengthen its position in the global esports market, according to Savvy CEO Brian Ward.

Savvy Games Group plays a key role in Saudi Arabia’s strategy to position itself as a global hub for the gaming industry, supported by the Public Investment Fund, whose assets are estimated at around $1 trillion.

Moonton’s multiplayer games are especially popular in Southeast Asia. Its flagship title Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has surpassed 1.5 billion downloads worldwide.

Savvy has been actively expanding its presence in the gaming industry through major acquisitions. In 2023, the company acquired Scopely, the developer behind Monopoly Go!, and last year it also agreed to acquire Pokémon GO from Niantic for $3.5 billion.

Mobile gaming represents the largest share of global gaming spending, outperforming console and PC gaming, according to Newzoo’s 2025 report. Much of the industry’s growth is expected to come from Asian markets.

ByteDance described the sale as a natural step in Moonton’s journey. The company originally acquired Moonton in 2021 for around $4 billion before later shifting its strategic focus toward generative artificial intelligence technologies.

Source: Entarabi