Savvy Games Will Acquire Moonton Technology

Savvy Games Will Acquire Moonton Technology

Mergers and Acquisitions

17 February 2026 13:30

TL;DR

• ByteDance nears Moonton sale to Saudi-backed Savvy.
• Deal valued at $6-7 billion, could close soon.
• This marks ByteDance's big step back from gaming.

TikTok parent company ByteDance appears to be moving forward with a major sale. Recent reports indicate the tech giant is holding advanced discussions to sell off Shanghai-based Moonton Technology, the studio famous for creating the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

The deal is reportedly valued somewhere between $6 billion and $7 billion. If everything comes together, the transaction might get finalized before the end of the first quarter of 2026, possibly as early as March.

Both sides have already settled on the main outline of the agreement, according to people involved in the talks. Neither ByteDance, Moonton, nor Savvy Games Group has offered an official comment when approached by media outlets. Savvy Games, in particular, chose not to respond to questions about the rumored deal.

This isn't the first time whispers about Moonton's future have surfaced. Back in late 2023, stories started circulating that ByteDance might look to offload the studio. Those rumors built on earlier signs in 2024 when ByteDance openly admitted it was exploring options to sell parts of its gaming operations. At one point, there was even talk of Tencent stepping in as a possible buyer, though that never materialized.

ByteDance originally picked up Moonton in 2021 through its gaming division, Nuverse. The acquisition came at a valuation of roughly $4 billion, as the company pushed hard to establish a stronger presence in the international gaming market and take on heavyweights like Tencent.

Selling Moonton now at this higher price range would deliver a solid profit for ByteDance in just a few years. Mobile Legends has stayed a powerhouse in the mobile MOBA space, especially across Southeast Asia and other regions, with strong ongoing revenue from in-game purchases and esports events.

For Savvy Games Group, snapping up Moonton would represent another aggressive move in its expansion plans. The group, fully owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, has been building a massive portfolio in the gaming world. It already holds investments in big names like Nintendo, Capcom, Nexon, Take-Two Interactive, Activision Blizzard, and Koei Tecmo. More recently, it has completed high-profile acquisitions such as Scopely (the Monopoly Go developer) and Niantic (behind Pokémon Go).Adding Moonton to that lineup would give Savvy even deeper reach into the mobile gaming sector and solidify its influence in high-growth markets like Southeast Asia, where Mobile Legends enjoys a massive player base.

More:BLAST Slam VI Winners Crowned

Tags: Savvy Games Moonton MLBB

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Savvy Games Will Acquire Moonton Technology

Mergers and Acquisitions

17 February 2026 13:30

Tags: Savvy Games Moonton MLBB

TL;DR

• ByteDance nears Moonton sale to Saudi-backed Savvy.
• Deal valued at $6-7 billion, could close soon.
• This marks ByteDance's big step back from gaming.

TikTok parent company ByteDance appears to be moving forward with a major sale. Recent reports indicate the tech giant is holding advanced discussions to sell off Shanghai-based Moonton Technology, the studio famous for creating the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

The deal is reportedly valued somewhere between $6 billion and $7 billion. If everything comes together, the transaction might get finalized before the end of the first quarter of 2026, possibly as early as March.

Both sides have already settled on the main outline of the agreement, according to people involved in the talks. Neither ByteDance, Moonton, nor Savvy Games Group has offered an official comment when approached by media outlets. Savvy Games, in particular, chose not to respond to questions about the rumored deal.

This isn't the first time whispers about Moonton's future have surfaced. Back in late 2023, stories started circulating that ByteDance might look to offload the studio. Those rumors built on earlier signs in 2024 when ByteDance openly admitted it was exploring options to sell parts of its gaming operations. At one point, there was even talk of Tencent stepping in as a possible buyer, though that never materialized.

ByteDance originally picked up Moonton in 2021 through its gaming division, Nuverse. The acquisition came at a valuation of roughly $4 billion, as the company pushed hard to establish a stronger presence in the international gaming market and take on heavyweights like Tencent.

Selling Moonton now at this higher price range would deliver a solid profit for ByteDance in just a few years. Mobile Legends has stayed a powerhouse in the mobile MOBA space, especially across Southeast Asia and other regions, with strong ongoing revenue from in-game purchases and esports events.

For Savvy Games Group, snapping up Moonton would represent another aggressive move in its expansion plans. The group, fully owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, has been building a massive portfolio in the gaming world. It already holds investments in big names like Nintendo, Capcom, Nexon, Take-Two Interactive, Activision Blizzard, and Koei Tecmo. More recently, it has completed high-profile acquisitions such as Scopely (the Monopoly Go developer) and Niantic (behind Pokémon Go).Adding Moonton to that lineup would give Savvy even deeper reach into the mobile gaming sector and solidify its influence in high-growth markets like Southeast Asia, where Mobile Legends enjoys a massive player base.

More:BLAST Slam VI Winners Crowned

Share:

Sources:

Report mistake Submit news

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