ByteDance is reportedly exploring a potential sale of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang developer Moonton Games to Savvy Games Group, the video game investment, development, publishing, and esports company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The Chinese tech giant, which also owns TikTok, acquired Moonton in 2021 in a deal valued at roughly $4 billion USD. While ByteDance reportedly considered offloading Moonton in 2024, that process was put on pause.

Talks Between ByteDance and Savvy in “Early Stages”

Bloomberg, who originally reported this story, notes that talks between ByteDance and Saudi-backed Savvy Games Group are still in the early stages and may not result in a finalized transaction.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) remains one of the largest mobile esports titles in the world, particularly across Southeast Asia, where the MLBB Professional League (MPL) operates in multiple countries and consistently attracts high viewership.

Savvy Games Group is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund. Savvy has rapidly expanded its portfolio over the past few years, acquiring controlling stakes in companies like SNK and Scopely, taking part in an investment round to acquire Electronic Arts, while also owning tournament organizers ESL FACEIT Group.

The group also oversees PIF’s minority investments in major publishers such as Activision Blizzard and Nintendo.

Saudi Arabia continues to position gaming and esports as key pillars of its Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to reduce reliance on oil by investing heavily in entertainment, tourism, and digital industries. Esports has been a major priority, with state-funded initiatives including the Esports World Cup and Esports Nations Cup.

If Savvy’s talks with ByteDance progress, Moonton would become another significant gaming asset under Saudi control, and only time will tell if or how the MLBB esports landscape – and mobile esports more broadly – could change as a result.