Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group, said Savvy’s goal after acquiring Scopely was to provide long-term capital while leaving the mobile-game company free to run itself. In a July 2024 GamesBeat interview marking roughly a year since the deal, Ward discussed that operating model, Monopoly GO’s exceptional success, Savvy’s esports and Saudi Arabia ambitions, and his outlook for the games business. His comments describe the company’s position at that time—not verified results or market conditions today.
What changed at Scopely after Savvy acquired it?
GamesBeat reported that Savvy acquired Scopely for $4.9 billion, in a deal connected to the backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Ward described the intended change less as a day-to-day merger than as access to a long-term owner and source of capital. He said Savvy wanted “to be that long-term strategic capital partner and fuel that growth.” GamesBeat reported the acquisition price; Ward explained Savvy’s approach in the interview.
Ward said the two companies had worked out how to operate together as a larger organization, while Scopely retained autonomy. He characterized feedback about the arrangement this way: “the employees, I’m told–basically Savvy is almost invisible to them, which means we’re doing our job in keeping them independent and autonomous.” That is Ward’s account of employee sentiment and Savvy’s intent, rather than an independent assessment of how every team experienced the acquisition.
What did Ward say about Monopoly GO?
GamesBeat’s introduction reported that Monopoly GO generated $2 billion in revenue during its first 10 months. That figure refers to that initial period; it was not a new revenue update from Ward in the interview. Asked about later performance, he said he did not think Scopely had publicly announced updated numbers and described the game as continuing on a similar trajectory. The $2 billion figure appears in GamesBeat’s report; Ward’s response on subsequent figures and performance is in the interview.
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Ward called the game’s success unusual, saying, “Something like Monopoly Go is a bit of a unicorn.” He pointed to the value of a familiar intellectual property and the work of the team behind the game. He also cautioned against treating its performance as a routine benchmark: “doubling the company every six months is not an expectation the stakeholders should have.” His point was that Savvy wanted to support successful teams and franchises without assuming every investment would reproduce an exceptional hit.
How does Savvy’s strategy divide across games, esports and Saudi Arabia?
Ward said Savvy’s three pillars remained game development and publishing, esports, and building Saudi Arabia into a global games hub. He rejected the idea that the distribution of recent opportunities signaled a retreat from esports or a preference for one pillar. The interview did not quantify how Savvy’s resources were divided among them.
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Ward also discussed possible esports opportunities involving technology and digital platforms. These were areas of interest he described in 2024, not evidence that a particular opportunity had since been launched or delivered results.
What did Ward expect from the games industry?
Speaking in mid-2024, Ward said he had heard from bankers that funding and IPO opportunities were picking up. He described the industry as having adjusted after companies had overestimated how durable the pandemic-era surge in demand would be. Those were his observations at the time, not a present-day market forecast.
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For growth, Ward expected mobile free-to-play to remain strong, particularly in markets where consumers are mobile-first. He also emphasized the difficulty of repeating Monopoly GO’s success: a hit built around familiar IP can be an outlier rather than a dependable template for every new game.
What did Savvy say it was building in Saudi Arabia?
Ward described ecosystem development as a long-term effort, not a quick result of acquiring companies. He said Savvy’s priorities included improving investment incentives, attracting studios and other companies, developing local skills through training and education, and creating jobs for Saudi citizens. He emphasized that establishing a global games hub takes years. The interview records those plans and priorities as of July 2024; it does not establish their subsequent outcomes.
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Ward referred to a market of 288 million gamers when describing the opportunity in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. That was his interview statement; the transcript passage does not supply a methodology, so it should not be treated as a verified census. He also said Saudi Arabia’s national games and esports strategy had 86 objectives, a figure likewise attributed to Ward rather than independently assessed in the interview.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How large was Savvy’s workforce at the time?
Ward confirmed an approximate combined workforce of 3,800 across Scopely, ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), and Savvy’s Saudi Arabia operations. His July 2024 estimate broke down as follows:
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| Organization or location | Approximate workforce Ward cited |
|---|---|
| Scopely | Around 2,300 |
| ESL FACEIT Group | Around 1,300 |
| Saudi Arabia operations | A couple hundred |
| Combined total | Around 3,800 |
These were approximate figures Ward gave in the interview, not a current headcount. GamesBeat’s transcript contains his workforce estimate.
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