This could mean big changes for the game and esports.
TikTok parent company ByteDance reportedly agreed to sell MOONTON Games, the company behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), to Saudi-backed gaming investment group Savvy Games for $6 billion. This acquisition marks a massive shift for both companies.
Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector is investing heavily in major gaming companies like Capcom, Electronic Arts, and more. However, this also poses several questions, considering how ByteDance may have just sold the company to break even and move on to other projects.
Savvy Games reportedly bought MOONTON Games
According to multiple reports, ByteDance has reached an agreement to sell its game publishing unit, MOONTON Games, to Savvy Games for $6 billion. This makes it one of the largest acquisitions in mobile gaming history.
ByteDance originally acquired MOONTON Games back in 2021 for around $4 billion. Back then, the company was looking to explore the gaming market. With MLBB being the rising mobile title in Southeast Asia, acquiring the company that owns it makes strategic sense. After its success with the TikTok social media app, the company has slowly shifted into developing AI technology. The company’s AI chatbot Doubao saw massive attention in China, with reports of over 100 million daily active users.
Savvy Games, on the other hand, is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The region is looking to expand its reach in the gaming market. This led to multiple investments in various gaming giants and the hosting of the annual Esports World Cup. One of its biggest acquisitions is the $4.9 billion deal with Scopely, the publisher behind MONOPOLY GO!, as it expands by acquiring Niantic, which made global hits like Pokémon GO. Acquiring MOONTON Games, the owner of one of the most popular mobile MOBA titles to date, is part of its aggressive expansion into the gaming industry.
Why this matters for MLBB fans
At the center of the deal is MLBB, one of the biggest mobile MOBA titles in the world. The game boasts over 1.5 billion downloads globally and around 110 monthly active users. The game is mostly active in Southeast Asia (SEA) while slowly expanding to other regions like the Americas and India.
MLBB isn’t just a game; it’s also an ecosystem. From professional leagues like the MPL to international tournaments like the M-Series World Championship, it has built a loyal fanbase and a thriving competitive scene. However, in terms of raw financial success, MLBB still trails behind some of the world’s biggest mobile MOBAs.
According to data from AppMagic, MLBB sits at second place in terms of 2025 Revenue, generating over $158 million. The first place is Tencent’s Honor of Kings (HoK) with a massive 1.6 billion overall revenue for that year. We can deduce that the biggest contributor to this massive gap is the revenue in China. HoK is massive in their home market, while MLBB is still trying to build a solid fanbase in the region.
Despite this, MLBB’s continued growth outside China demonstrates its global appeal. For fans, this acquisition by Savvy Games Group could mean more resources for game development, larger esports prize pools, and tournament expansions. However, given MLBB’s current annual revenue, Savvy Games may need to implement new strategies to ensure the acquisition delivers a strong financial return.