- ByteDance reportedly selling MOONTON to Savvy Games for $6 billion.
- ByteDance originally acquired MOONTON Games for $4 billion in 2021.
ByteDance has reportedly agreed to sell MOONTON Games, the creators of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Savvy Games Group in a deal valued at around $6 billion. The China-based tech giant, which also owns TikTok, has agreed with the Saudi-backed video games company, as per details available.
The discussions surrounding MOONTON Games’ sale was since 2023
As reported by Bloomberg, the transaction is said to be nearing completion, although official confirmation from both parties is still awaited. According to the report, MOONTON CEO Zhang Yunfan will continue to lead the company, and the existing team will remain in place with added incentive programs for employees.
This development comes as part of ByteDance’s pullback from the gaming industry. The company had acquired MOONTON back in 2021 for around $4 billion, aiming to expand its gaming portfolio.
However, over the past two years, ByteDance has gradually reduced its focus on gaming. This included restructuring efforts, job cuts, and scaling down its Nuverse gaming division. The company is now increasingly focusing on areas like AI and its core platforms, including TikTok.
Talks around a potential MOONTON sale have been ongoing for some time. Back in November 2023, reports suggested ByteDance was considering selling the studio, although this was denied at the time by then CEO Justin Yuan.
By January 2024, ByteDance confirmed it was in discussions with potential buyers, including Tencent Games, which took over two ByteDance-owned studios in March of that year. Later developments included the transfer of publishing rights for MLBB, Marvel Snap, and other titles in the US in March 2025, further hinting at this move.
However, very recent reports in November 2025 once again linked MOONTON with Savvy Games, and the latest update suggests those discussions have now led to an agreement. Savvy Games Group, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has been actively expanding its presence in the gaming industry.
One of their massive investments include Scopely acquisition for $4.9 billion in 2023, where the MONOPOLY GO! creators further expanded with Niantic, the company behind Pokémon GO, purchase for $3.5 billion in February last year.
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