ByteDance to sell Moonton for $6B
ByteDance reportedly agreed to sell Moonton Games, maker of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Saudi‑backed Savvy Games Group for about $6 billion — another sign of big M&A moves in gaming. The report highlights growing consolidation in global game studios (gamingonphone.com).
Bloomberg’s March 20, 2026 story cited an internal memo from Moonton CEO Zhang Yunfan that laid out a near-term timeline for the transaction and said the studio will continue to operate from Shanghai. (bloomberg.com) The memo Bloomberg reviewed said Moonton’s existing management team will remain in place and that staff incentive programs will be used as part of the transition. (bloomberg.com) ByteDance originally acquired Moonton through its Nuverse unit in March 2021 at a reported valuation of roughly $4 billion, according to Reuters contemporaneous reporting. (ca.finance.yahoo.com) Moonton describes itself as a global studio with more than 2,000 employees and offices across Southeast Asia and Latin America, positioning Mobile Legends as a major regional esports franchise. (en.moonton.com) The buyer’s parent, Savvy Games Group, was created by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and has closed major gaming deals including the $4.9 billion acquisition of Scopely in 2023 and the consolidation of ESL and FACEIT into ESL FACEIT Group. (pif.gov.sa) The PIF has also led larger sector playbooks recently, joining a consortium that agreed to acquire Electronic Arts in a $55 billion all‑cash deal announced on Sept. 29, 2025, underscoring the scale of capital behind Savvy’s gaming push. (ir.ea.com)
