Report: ByteDance in advanced talks to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group for up to $7bn

• A deal would mark ByteDance’s major step back from online gaming after its 2023 restructuring.
• ByteDance originally acquired Moonton for around $4bn in 2021 through Nuverse.
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has surpassed 1.5bn installs and draws more than 110m monthly active users.

Chinese tech giant ByteDance is in advanced negotiations to sell Mobile Legends: Bang Bang developer Moonton to Savvy Games Group in a deal valued between $6 billion and $7bn.

As reported by Reuters, a deal could be finalised as soon as this quarter, according to one source familiar with the matter, with both companies having reached an initial agreement on the broad terms, a second source said.

It would also represent another significant retreat from gaming by ByteDance, following its 2023 decision to restructure the division after an internal review.

M&A expansion 

The TikTok owner acquired Moonton in 2021 through its gaming arm Nuverse in a deal valuing the studio at around $4bn.

Founded in 2014, Moonton operates across development, publishing and esports, employs more than 2,000 staff and has offices spanning Southeast Asia, Latin America and China. 

Its flagship title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, has surpassed 1.5bn installs, reaches over 110 million monthly active users and ranks among the top 10 most played games in more than 80 countries.

Savvy Games Group, on the other hand, is a games and esports company founded in 2021 and owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) as part of the country's push to make the Kingdom a global games hub.

It bought Scopely for $4.9bn in 2023, and Scopely later acquired Niantic’s game division for $3.5bn. The PIF is also set to complete its $55bn acquisition of EA later this year.