by WU Yangyu

Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group has struck a deal to acquire ByteDance-owned game developer Moonton for more than $6 billion, Jiemian News has learned.

The deal would give the Saudi gaming investor control of one of Southeast Asia's best-known mobile game developers and bolster its position in Asian gaming markets, where it has been looking to expand.

Several media outlets have reported that talks between the two sides began in the second half of 2025, with key terms largely settled in early 2026. An analyst familiar with the sector said Savvy was drawn to Moonton's deep roots in Southeast Asia, which would help it plug a gap in Asia and expand more quickly into the region's emerging gaming markets.

Moonton is best known for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, a multiplayer online battle arena mobile game launched in 2016 that has become one of the region's most popular titles. The company has also built a mature esports ecosystem around the title through extensive localization and a well-developed tournament structure, helping it maintain a leading position in Southeast Asia's mobile MOBA market.

In an internal letter to staff on Friday reviewed by Jiemian News, ByteDance gaming business head ZHANG Yunfan said the company would offer Moonton employees a range of incentives tied to past performance, while introducing new plans linked to future results.

The letter said Moonton's management structure would remain unchanged after the transaction closes, with Zhang set to serve as chief executive officer.

The sale is likely to be viewed as part of ByteDance's broader effort to sharpen its focus on artificial intelligence. A person close to the company said ByteDance's profits began to decline in the fourth quarter of 2025, as heavy spending on AI and rising chip prices weighed on margins.

Selling Moonton would not only mark a sizable deal for ByteDance but also reflect its determination to focus more tightly on AI, the person said.