What is Savvy Games Group and how is it trying to change Saudi Arabia's image?

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Saudi Arabia is pouring billions of dollars into the video games industry, primarily via its Public Investment Fund.

Over the past few years, the Fund has purchased stakes in Capcom, Nexon and Nintendo, increasing its stake in the latter to 8.26% earlier this year. Prior to this, it invested in Activision Blizzard, Take-Two Interactive and Electronic Arts, upping its stake in the FIFA publisher to 9% last month.

Savvy Games Group is a subsidiary of the PIF and it hasn't been idle either. It has purchased a $1 billion stake in Embracer Group, acquired mobile publisher Scopely for $4.9 billion, and invested heavily into esports (including the acquisition of ESL Gaming and FaceIt, merging the two to form the ESL FaceIt Group). Savvy has even set aside $37.8 billion to build up Saudi Arabia's presence in the global games industry – with $13.3 billion of that earmarked for acquiring a major publisher.

Each of the above announcements have been met with scepticism given the fact Savvy was only formed in November 2021, but also especially given Saudi Arabia's track record when it comes to human rights violations (we'll be diving deeper into this a little later). We caught up with Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward to find out more about what the company is trying to accomplish, and how the political climate around its home nation might be impacting its business.

Ward describes Savvy as a games and esports company that he's hoping will become a major player globally and help grow the industry as well. It's formed of five operating companies:

Savvy Games Group was set up and is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, and Ward says it is part of