Negotiations for the sale of Moonton Technology,
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s publisher, from ByteDance to Savvy Games Group have now concluded, according to
Bloomberg, marking a major acquisition for the Gulf kingdom. The two parties have reached an agreement valuing the studio at around $6 billion, confirming the outcome of months of discussions that had previously remained uncertain.
According to
Bloomberg, ByteDance has signed a deal with the Saudi-backed group, with the transaction expected to be finalized in the near future. In an internal memo reviewed by the outlet, Moonton CEO Zhang Yunfan confirmed that he and his management team will remain in place following the acquisition, while employees will benefit from a range of incentive programs. Although financial terms were not officially disclosed, sources indicate a valuation of approximately $6 billion, a number that was already reported a month ago by
Reuters.
On November 27, initial reports from Bloomberg indicated that ByteDance had reopened talks with the Saudi Public Investment Fund subsidiary. At the time, discussions were described as preliminary, slowed by PIF’s financial allocations as it prioritized domestic infrastructure projects such as NEOM.
6 billion dollars for Mobile Legends
The valuation, up from the $4 billion paid by ByteDance in 2021, is driven by the continued strength of MLBB. The title has maintained organic growth in Southeast Asia despite a broader slowdown in the mobile MOBA market and competition from Honor of Kings.
In January 2026, the M7 tournament, the equivalent of the Worlds in League of Legends, recorded a peak viewership of 5.6 million, ranking second in terms of Peak Viewers, behind LoL and ahead of major titles such as VALORANT and Counter-Strike 2. With that performance, MLBB also set a new record for a mobile title, surpassing Free Fire’s previous peak, further strengthening its position in the negotiations.
For ByteDance, the sale marks the final chapter of an unsuccessful diversification strategy into hardcore gaming. After restructuring Nuverse, publisher of Marvel Snap, and divesting several projects to Tencent in mid-2024, the Chinese group is offloading its last major in-house development asset to refocus on generative AI. The proceeds are expected to support investments in large language models and the infrastructure required to sustain platforms like TikTok.
For Savvy Games Group, the acquisition aligns with its aggressive expansion strategy backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The group continues to build a fully integrated ecosystem across game publishing, esports, and infrastructure, notably through ESL FACEIT and major industry investments. Acquiring Moonton strengthens its position in mobile esports, adding a global hit that has surpassed 1.5 billion downloads and remains one of the most influential titles in Southeast Asia.
