Scopely’s surprise acquisition of Pokémon GO developer Niantic left many players nervous about the game’s future, but the studio wants fans to know that it’s not making any significant adjustments to the experience. Acquisitions have become all too common in the video game industry as publishers look to scoop up successful developers to tap a potentially lucrative revenue stream. With Niantic’s Pokémon GO still dominating the mobile scene just under a decade since its launch, it stands to reason that Scopely would want a cut.

Per Eurogamer, during an all-hands meeting between the two companies, Niantic promised employees that Pokémon GO “will not undergo any major changes under the influence of Scopely.” The studio clarified that Scopely will facilitate the game’s continued development, noting that it will continue to build upon the highly successful mobile game. Niantic further confirmed that Scopely will not be “shutting down” Pokémon GO, but there was no word on whether the shift will impact the game’s monetization model.

Pokémon GO Fans Are Concerned About Scopely

The Company Has A Reputation For Aggressive Monetization

When news broke that Scopely was finalizing an agreement to acquire Niantic for $3.5 billion, players were instantly apprehensive about what the deal could mean for Pokémon GO. Many have cited concerns regarding Scopely’s portfolio of mobile games, which includes massive hits like Monopoly Go! and Marvel Strike Force, noting that the company tends to employ aggressive monetization and microtransactions. Pokémon GO already features plenty of ways to spend money, but compared to Scopely’s products, it’s far more generous with what it dishes out to players for free.

Pokémon GO will undoubtedly be pleased to hear that Niantic will continue development seemingly unhindered, but only time will tell whether that strategy remains unchanged. Fans have looked to the gradual tweaks made to Marvel Strike Force after Scopely acquired the game, noting that it slowly changed, over a period of a couple of years, from free-to-play friendly to an experience that demanded additional payments to stay competitive. With Pokémon GO as relevant today as it was in 2016, fans hope Niantic and Scopely stay true to their word.

Pokémon GO Doesn’t Need Any Changes

If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It

Ever since its launch, Pokémon GO has consistently held a position on the best-selling mobile games charts, so it stands to reason that Niantic shouldn’t adjust anything that could impact that success. I firmly believe the game has maintained such a dedicated following because of its generous rewards system that offers users a wealth of content for free. I want to trust that Niantic will do its best to keep the experience on an unaltered trajectory, but one never knows what the future holds.

Source: Eurogamer

Pokémon GO

Released

July 6, 2016

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Niantic, The Pokemon Company