ByteDance in talks to sell gaming unit Moonton in $6B–$7B deal to Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games

ByteDance is in advanced talks to sell Shanghai Moonton Technology, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group in a deal valued between $6 billion and $7 billion, people familiar with the discussions told Reuters and TechStartups. Sources said broad commercial terms are already agreed and an agreement could be reached as soon as this quarter, though the parties declined to be identified.

"ByteDance is in advanced talks to sell Shanghai Moonton Technology, the studio behind the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, to Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group in a deal valued at between $6 billion and $7 billion, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the ongoing talks," the reporting said. Neither ByteDance, Moonton, nor Savvy Games responded to requests for comment.

Deal background and mechanics

The proposed transaction would mark a significant reversal for ByteDance, which acquired Moonton in 2021 for close to $4 billion through its Nuverse unit as part of an aggressive push into games. Five years after that acquisition, sources say ByteDance’s priorities have shifted: a 2023 internal review prompted a restructuring of its gaming operations, and the company’s fast-growing short-form video business has eclipsed gaming as a strategic focus.

• Proposed valuation: $6 billion–$7 billion
• Original Moonton purchase: ~ $4 billion (2021, Nuverse)
• Moonton founded: 2014; employees: more than 2,000
• Mobile Legends milestones (per Moonton): 1.5 billion installs; over 110 million monthly active users; top-ten most-played in 80+ countries

Strategic fit for Savvy Games

For Savvy Games Group — backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — the acquisition would fit an ongoing strategy to secure global gaming intellectual property and distribution. The group has made sizeable purchases in recent years: it acquired mobile games publisher Scopely for $4.9 billion in 2023, and Scopely in turn bought Niantic’s game division earlier this year for $3.5 billion.

Moonton would bring scale and an established global footprint, with offices across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and China. TechStartups noted the studio employs more than 2,000 people and that Mobile Legends remains a major international mobile franchise.

Context and outlook

The talks come amid broader consolidation in the video game industry, where strategic buyers and sovereign-backed groups are racing to buy proven franchises. For ByteDance, the potential sale would represent a clear retreat from gaming after its earlier gambit to build a major global games business. The company’s core advertising and short-form video operations have surged: Reuters reported that ByteDance’s first- and second-quarter 2025 revenue surpassed Meta’s Facebook and Instagram for the same periods, and an employee share buyback recently valued ByteDance at over $330 billion.

If completed, the deal would add another high-profile asset to Saudi-backed portfolios and reinforce Savvy Games’ push to become a major player in games and esports. Participants cautioned that talks remain private; Reuters first reported the valuation range and timeline, and people familiar with the discussions emphasized that terms could still change before any definitive agreement is signed.