Savvy Games Group in Saudi Arabia is making waves in the mobile gaming industry following the phenomenal success of its game Monopoly Go. With plans to invest significantly more in mobile game development and acquisitions, the company's CEO shares insights into their strategic vision.

Owned entirely by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Savvy Games Group made headlines with its acquisition of mobile game maker Scopely for $4.9 billion last April. This move coincided with the release of the Monopoly title, which has since generated an impressive $2 billion in revenue online.

In an interview, CEO Brian Ward revealed that Scopely will be at the forefront of Savvy's investment strategy, acting as the "tip of the spear." This approach entails increased funding for the mobile game publisher, which already oversees eight development studios and may soon add a "genre-leading title" to Scopely's portfolio.

Savvy Games Group announced in 2022 a substantial funding of $38 billion to transform Saudi Arabia into a video game industry hub. To date, $8.3 billion has been invested in this endeavor, with Ward emphasizing a measured approach to capital deployment.

"We're not in a rush to deploy all the capital within a certain time frame," Ward stated, highlighting the priority of enabling Scopely to excel in its domain.

Scopely's strategic investment in marketing, with nearly $500 million allocated solely for Monopoly Go, has paid off remarkably. This expenditure resulted in an audience of 10 million daily active users and revenue scales unprecedented in the Western mobile gaming market.

Post-acquisition, Savvy has maintained a hands-off approach to Scopely's operations, allowing the latter to leverage its expertise effectively.

Additionally, Savvy Games Group is actively developing two of its own games with a mobile-first strategy, aligning with industry trends and consumer preferences.

While not all investments have yielded immediate returns, particularly in the esports sector, Savvy's commitment remains unwavering. An early foray into esports through acquisitions formed ESL Faceit Group, set to host Saudi Arabia's Esports World Cup with a record-breaking $60 million prize pool. Despite recent staff reductions at ESL Faceit, Ward confirmed Savvy's pivot away from major esports investments.

The mobile-centric focus and strategic partnerships underscore Savvy Games Group's ambitions to lead Saudi Arabia's charge into the global gaming landscape, backed by substantial investments and a keen eye on industry trends.