ByteDance Reportedly Nears Deal to Sell Moonton for Up to $7 Billion

Chinese tech giant ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is reportedly preparing to sell its gaming subsidiary Shanghai Moonton Technology, according to Reuters.

Citing anonymous sources, Reuters claims that negotiations with Savvy Games Group — an investment firm backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — have reached a preliminary agreement.

Sources indicate the transaction could be finalized before the end of the current quarter, potentially within the next six weeks. The deal is estimated to be worth between $6 billion and $7 billion.

ByteDance originally acquired Moonton in 2021 through its gaming arm Nuverse, known for publishing Marvel Snap, in a deal valued at approximately $4 billion. Moonton employs more than 2,000 staff members, and its flagship title, the mobile hit Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, remains one of the most successful games in its category.

According to company data, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has accumulated over 1.5 billion registered users and maintains more than 110 million monthly active players. The game consistently ranks among the top 10 most popular titles in over 80 countries worldwide.

If the sale goes through, it would signal ByteDance’s complete withdrawal from the gaming sector. In late 2023, the company effectively shut down Nuverse, stopping development on new projects and ending support for existing titles.

Meanwhile, Savvy Games Group continues to expand aggressively in the mobile gaming space. In 2023, it acquired Scopely, the publisher of Monopoly Go, for $4.9 billion, followed by the gaming business of Niantic, known for Pokemon Go, for $3.5 billion. Moonton could soon become the latest addition to its growing portfolio.