Pokémon GO, the popular game with more than 500 million players, is undergoing a major change. Niantic, the company behind the game, is selling its gaming division, including Pokémon GO, to Scopely for a record $3.5 billion.

What does it mean for players?

Scopely, the maker of popular mobile games such as MONOPOLY GO! and Marvel Strike Force, is infamous for its aggressive monetization. Fans are concerned about the potential introduction of additional microtransactions and paid content into Pokémon GO.

A glimpse into the future

Ed Wu, the head of the Pokémon GO team at Niantic, confirms that the game's core team is the same and the alliance with Scopely will give the game further resources. He says the game's mission—finding Pokémon in the real world and exploring cooperatively—will not change.

Public reaction

The gaming community is divided with its expectations for the future of the game. Some are concerned with monetization and content quality changes because previous Scopely games have had issues with these. Others think the merger will create new opportunities and make the game better.

Pokémon GO's shift under Scopely's leadership opens the game up to new opportunities but also new concerns with how the game will be monetized and how content will be handled. Players will have to stay up to date and adapt with the changes, and the community will continue speculating about where their beloved game is headed.