Savvy Games, owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has entered an agreement with ByteDance to acquire Moonton Games for $6 billion. The deal marks another major investment in the gaming industry by the Saudi entity. Moonton, a Shanghai-based developer, is known for hits like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Savvy Games announced an agreement to purchase Moonton Games, a subsidiary of ByteDance, for $6 billion. This amount is close to Microsoft's $7 billion acquisition of Bethesda in 2021. Savvy CEO Brian Ward stated in a press release: “This acquisition directly supports Savvy’s purpose to enable prosperity and connection through play for generations to come, and our mission to drive long-term growth and innovation in games and esports.” He added: “Once completed, it will further strengthen our leadership in mobile games, deepen our talent pool, expand our global footprint, and enhance our reach across esports.” Moonton, based in Shanghai, develops free-to-play mobile titles. Its 2016 MOBA Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has exceeded one billion downloads. The company recently released Acecraft, a co-op vertical shooter blending Cuphead-style animation with licensed cartoon characters. Savvy has made prior investments, including acquiring Scopely, maker of Monopoly Go, for $5 billion in 2023, and Niantic, developer of Pokémon Go, for $3.5 billion in 2025. It holds stakes in Embracer, Take-Two, and esports companies. Saudi Arabia's broader gaming portfolio includes investments in Capcom and SNK Corporation. A key upcoming deal is a $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, expected to close this summer. The article was published on March 20, 2026, with a correction to the EA sale value.
