Saudi-backed Scopely buys into Chinese MMO maker Bokura — alongside Tencent
What's the deal? Scopely, the US mobile publisher owned by Saudi sovereign fund PIFDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s Savvy Games GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, has acquired a strategic stake in Shanghai-based game developer BokuraDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The deal, completed on September 23 through Scopely's Singapore entity, Scopely South East AsiaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, has an undisclosed value; neither company issued an official announcement.
Who is Bokura? Founded in 2021 by MMO veteran Chen Min — creator of Dragon Nest Mobile — the studio has about 150 staff. Its flagship title, Star Resonance , is a multi-platform open-world MMO licensed from Bandai NamcoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s Blue Protocol IP, rebuilt in-house for global release on PC and mobile.
The strategic rationale: Scopely's strength is publishing. Monopoly GO! has been among the world's top-grossing mobile games since 2023, and in 2025 it absorbed Niantic's games business, including Pokémon GO . But its catalogue leans casual, leaving it short on mid-to-hardcore, IP-driven development — exactly what Chinese studios have built for years.
Why Tencent matters: Tencent backed Bokura at founding in 2021, taking a 20% stake as its first institutional investor. Scopely now joins the cap table as a second strategic shareholder — not a co-investment, but two backers entering back to back.
What changes for Bokura? The two investors bring complementary resources. Tencent anchors the domestic side — game licences, distribution, the WeChat ecosystem, and understanding of anime-style players. Scopely offers overseas user acquisition, long-term live operations, and global publishing channels.
Why the Singapore route? Scopely SEA acts as its Asia-Pacific holding platform for equity investment and acquisitions. Investing in a Shanghai company via Singapore — rather than the US parent — gives more flexibility on capital flows, share structure, and later global publishing. It has become a common pattern for foreign capital entering China's game industry: minority stakes, retained team autonomy, and exported publishing muscle.
Not an isolated bet: Bokura is Scopely's third move into Chinese studios, after taking control of Chengfeng YunqiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — a spun-out Perfect WorldDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → team building a Marvel-IP ARPG — and fully owning a local R&D centre. Over the past two years, foreign capital has bet more heavily on Chinese mid-to-hardcore studios; Savvy also acquired Moonton.
The signal: The trade is a straight swap of needs. Chinese teams bring mature industrialised development but often lack global distribution and long-term monetisation; overseas publishers have the channels but need studios that can churn out heavier content. Through Savvy, PIF has amassed stakes in Scopely, ESL, FACEIT, and VSPO, and backing Chinese developers is one more move to secure a place across the global games chain.
Read more: 36kr.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
