Pokémon Go received conflicting feedback when it was released; critics praised the concept but criticized its technical issues. It was one of the most frequently used and profitablemobile apps in 2016, being downloaded over 500 million times globally by the year's end. It is recognized for popularizinglocation-based and AR technology to the extent of promoting physical and social activity. However, it has also faced criticism for contributing to accidents and creating public nuisances. Various governments have voiced security concerns, and some countries regulate its use. By May of 2018, the game had over147 millionmonthly active users, more than one billion downloads worldwide by early 2019, and earned more than $6 billion in revenue by 2020. It isconsidered among the best mobile games of all time.
Players must navigate the real world to move on the game map and find PokéStops, depicted as the small circular objects or cube icons, depending on their proximity to the player (usually blue for PokéStops that haven't been visited and purple for PokéStops that have). Additionally, players can locate gyms, which are represented by the large towers.
When a player encounters aTreecko inaugmented reality mode, a Poké Ball must be "thrown" to capture it by pressing on the ball and flicking it up or curving it towards the Pokémon and then releasing after the motion.
After creating an account via one of the provided methods, players can customize their personalavatars, this can be remain as the default avatar and is completely optional to modify.[4][5] An avatar appears on the game map based on the player'sGPS location. "PokéStops" and "Pokémon Gyms" are features on the map. There are also "Lure Modules" that these PokéStops can be equipped with to attract more wild, and occasionally, rare Pokémon.[6][7] Gyms function as battlefields for team-basedking of the hill matches.[8] PokéStops and Gyms are typically located at places of interest.[9] These locations were initially re-purposed portals fromIngress, Niantic's previous augmented reality (AR) game. This has caused the placement of certain Pokémon Gyms and PokéStops in dangerous or inconvenient locations, such as a now removed Gym at theKorean Demilitarized Zone[10] andBagram Airforce Base, which the U.S. forces abandoned in July 2021.[11] Since 2019, these locations also include submissions fromGo players which a significant amount of other players review.[12]
Players' avatars move on the game's map to correspond with their real location while they travel their real-world environment. DifferentPokémon species reside in different areas of the world; for example, Water-type Pokémon are generally located close to water.[13] When a player encounters a Pokémon, it can be viewed with a live-rendered, generic background or in augmented reality (AR) mode.[14] AR mode uses thecamera andgyroscope on the player's mobile device to display a live image of a Pokémon as if it were in the real world.[15] Whether or not the AR function is enabled, players can capture screenshots or "Snapshots" of the Pokémon that they encounter.[16]
Although the game is free-to-play, it supportsin-app purchases, where players can purchase in-game items such as additional Poké Balls.[17] These items include Incense, which attractsPokémon to the player as they travel for sixty minutes, Lure Modules, which players apply to a PokéStop to attract Pokémon to that PokéStop for thirty minutes, and Lucky Eggs, which, for 30 minutes after the use, doublesexperience points (XP) earned. All Pokémon are displayed with a Combat Power (CP), which is a factor in the measurement of how powerful that Pokémon is in battle. Generally, as players level up, they catch Pokémon with higher CP and these Pokémon are somewhat more challenging to capture.[18] The "Appraisal" feature allows the user to check how strong their Pokémon are.[19]
Players can customize[20] their avatar's appearance with clothing options that change in availability according to season,[21] player level, and in-game sponsors or events. Clothing includes: hats, accessories, tops, bottoms, socks, footwear and bags. Most clothing aligns with either the appearance of a specific Pokémon, a specific team[22] and/or the Pokémon region. Many pieces of clothing are free, however, some items can also be purchased with Coins,[23] which can be earned during select events, awarded when the player levels up,[24] or received as a prize for Special Research[25] completion.
Another method for a player to customize their avatar is with a pose. Similar to clothes, poses can be free, purchased, or awarded. Some poses are event-based and can only be obtained during the duration of the event they are linked to. After the event concludes, there is no guarantee that the pose will reappear in-game again.
In April 2024, Pokémon GO released an update[26] to allow more flexible customization of player avatars. Customization now includes a limited amount of different hair styles, the ability to adjust the avatar's body size, and increased skin tone variations. This update created widespread criticism from the player base, as the new avatars were thought to have lower-quality graphics in comparison to the previous models, and because the updated models interfered with some post update cosmetic items, of which players had purchased a large amount of.[27]
Unlike most other installments in thePokémon series, players inPokémon GO do not battle against wild Pokémon to capture them. During an encounter with a wild Pokémon, a Poké Ball can be thrown towards the Pokémon by flicking it up toward the Pokémon from the bottom of the screen and instantly releasing after doing so. If the Pokémon is caught, it will now belong to the player. Factors in the success rate of catching a Pokémon include the Pokémon's catch rate, the timing, the variant of Poké Ball that was used, etc. After capturing a wild Pokémon, the player is awarded two different types of in-game currency: Candy and Stardust. The Candies awarded by a successful capture are determined by the evolutionary chain to which the Pokémon belongs. Players can increase a Pokémon's level and hence, its "Combat Power" (CP) by using Stardust and Candy. However, only Candies are required to evolve a Pokémon, besides the Pokémon that require special items or conditions in order to evolve. Each Pokémon evolution tree has its own type of Candy, which is limited to leveling up or evolving that Pokémon. Originally set at level 40, the maximum level a player can reach was increased to level 50 on November 30, 2020, and then raised again to level 80 from a leveling update on October 15, 2025.[28] The player can also transfer the Pokémon back to Professor Willow (which causes the removal of Pokémon from their collection) to obtain more Candy and make space for another Pokémon.[29] Shiny Pokémon can be found in a variety of ways, usually through chance or a "Community Day". A common goal for many players is to finish the entire Pokédex, which is a detailed Pokémon logbook that you can complete by catching and evolving all of the Pokémon inside.[b][30]
In September 2016, Niantic introduced a feature named "Buddy Pokémon", this feature enables players to choose a Pokémon from their collection to display on their profile screen and accompany their avatar during gameplay, and receive bonuses plus in-game items depending on the Pokémon you have selected.[31] The feature was released later that month.[32] Pokémon have different distances that they need to be traveled with in order to receive Candy. The player can earn more Candy the more they walk in real time. During the same update, Niantic added a feature to prevent players withrooted orjailbroken devices to log into the game in an effort to reduce and prevent cheating.[33]
On January 20, 2018,Pokémon Go hosted the first Community Day, a monthly event that increases a featured Pokémon's spawn rate and provides an exclusive attack for the Pokémon's last evolution if it was completely evolved during the event. Players also have an increased chance of catching the featured Pokémon's Shiny version.[34] The first Community Day featuredPikachu, with the exclusive attack Surf if evolved toRaichu during the event.[35]
New Pokémon are frequently added to the game, and there are 884 Pokémon in the game as of February 11, 2025 (including regional variants)[36] from a total 1,025 within the entire Pokémon franchise.[37]
Regional Pokémon are often released simultaneously, such asUnova region Pokémon (as well as the Unova Stone item) released in September 2019.[38]
During special events or quests, Mythical and Legendary Pokémon are frequently released on their own (or in pairs or trios).[39] The first Legendary Pokémon released wasGroudon, in December 2017.[40]Meltan and its evolved form,Melmetal, are the only Mythical Pokémon to have made their debut on Pokémon Go. Their release coincided with the release ofPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! andLet's Go, Eevee! on theNintendo Switch.Pokémon Go introduced the new Mythical Pokémon Meltan originally as a teaser, later to be accessible to capture only from Pokémon Go via a "Mystery Box" item that could be acquired by completing new Research Tasks, moving Pokémon from Pokémon Go to Pokémon HOME, or moving Pokémon to Nintendo Switch Pokémon games.[41]
In August 2020, Mega Evolution arrived inPokémon Go with four different Pokémon able to Mega Evolve into five different forms.[42] The feature has expanded to include 40 forms.
Players earnexperience points (XP) for various in-game activities. Players rise in level as they earn experience points (XP), with various features being progressively unlocked through the leveling system. Most-notably, at level five, the player acquires the ability to battle at a Pokémon Gym, and they get to decide which of the three color-coded teams, (red for Team Valor), (blue for Team Mystic), or (yellow for Team Instinct) to join, which act as factions battling for domination of Gyms within thePokémon Go universe.
In June 2017, Niantic announced that Gyms' game mechanics would be revamped for a more teamwork-oriented experience;[43] Gyms were disabled on June 19, 2017, with the new Gyms being made available a few days later with the next application update.[43] As of the update, Gyms included a spinnable component (PokéStop) for players to receive in-game items such as Potions and Poké Balls. Additionally, Gyms are capped at holding six Pokémon, all of which must be a different Pokémon in that Gym. Coins are now earned according to the duration that the defending Pokémon survived in a Gym, as opposed to the 10-coin daily gym defender bonus for each Pokémon currently protecting.[44] Legendary, Mythical and Buddy Pokémon cannot be placed in Gyms.[citation needed]
In July 2017, Raid Battles were introduced. Raid Battles consist of players gathering to battle an over-leveled Pokémon located in a Gym. If the Pokémon is defeated, the players gain the opportunity to catch a regular version of it. Raid difficulties range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least challenging and 5 representing the most challenging. Level 5 raids are exclusive to Legendary Pokémon. The first Legendary Pokémon,Articuno andLugia, were released on July 22, 2017, after theGo Fest, withMoltres andZapdos following shortly after. From September to November, the 3 Legendary Beasts:Entei,Raikou andSuicune, were made available, rotating regions every month. Following their departure, the Legendary PokémonHo-Oh appeared in Raid Battles from November 27, 2017, to December 12, 2017. In August 2020, level 3 Mega raids arrived with the introduction of Mega Evolution. At the same time, Level 2 and 4 raids were merged into Level 1 and 3 raids.[45]
In May 2022, Raid Battles were updated to include the addition of Mega Legendary Pokémon, which were turned to 6 stars, the highest in the game currently. The only Pokémon included in these Raids wereMega Latias andMega Latios.[46]
In October 2022, a new form of raid battles called "Elite Raids" were introduced. Elite Raids contrast from normal raids in several ways, most notably that they can only be battled in person, take a full day to begin, and are extremely challenging, frequently requiring a lot of players to defeat the Pokémon.[47]
In May 2023, another new form of raid battles were introduced named "Shadow Raids". Shadow Raids can be battled in person and remotely. They award the opportunity to capture a Shadow Pokémon after being defeated. During the battle, the Pokémon may become "enraged", increasing both its attack and defense, but can be reverted to normal using a "Purified Gem".[48] Before May 2025, trainers could only battle Shadow Raids in person.[49]
In December 2018, Niantic addedplayer vs player (PvP) Trainer Battles.[50] In January 2020, Niantic launched an online battle format, GO Battle League, which allows players to compete against other players worldwide.[51] Unlike the Trainer Battles format introduced in 2018, GO Battle League physical proximity is not a requirement, including scanning aQR code on another's phone, being aware of their friend code, or any other real-world interactions between players. Instead, participating players are automatically paired by the game server via a variant of theElo rating system.[52]
GO Battle League has players engage in a three-on-three battle with their Pokémon.[53] Gameplay functions similarly to other in-game battle formats, with players tapping their screen repeatedly to use a Pokémon's "fast move". Once fast moves have been used enough times, players can use a Pokémon's "charged move" to attack the opponent, which the opponent may decide to block with "protect shields", which can be used a limited amount per battle.[54] Players can switch their Pokémon to another member of their team of three during battle.[53] Trainer Battles have three major formats. The Great League was the first of the three Leagues' options to be introduced in the GO Battle League. The Great League only allowsPokémon with a combat power (CP) of 1,500 or lower to participate.[55] The Ultra League only allows Pokémon with a CP of 2,500 or lower to participate.[56] The Master League has no limit on the CP value of the Pokémon allowed to participate.[57]
The GO Battle League has been used in competitive Pokémon play. In October 2021, it was announced thatPokémon GO would be added during the 2022World Championships.[58] A qualification system titled thePokémon GO Championship Series was announced.[59] Any trainer who reached a certain threshold of the GO Battle League would qualify for the GO Championship Series.[60] The top two players would be permitted to participate in the World Championships.[59]Pokémon GO later returned in the 2023[61] and 2024 World Championships.[62]
In July 2019,Pokémon Go introduced Team GO Rocket battles.[63] Team GO RocketNPCs could be fought at certain PokéStops (indicated by its twitching movements and dark color instead of blue) or in Team GO Rocket Balloons which appear in the sky and follow the player on the map. After victory, the player has the opportunity to capture a "Shadow Pokémon" which are relatively low-leveled, angry-looking Pokémon. Shadow Pokémon have a bonus to their attack, but a penalty in their defense compared to a normal Pokémon.[64] After capture, the player has the choice to purify the Shadow Pokémon. Purification of the Pokémon improves its level and stats from their Shadow counterparts, and it also can learn an exclusive move when purified, and require less candies to evolve.[citation needed]
In September 2024,Pokémon GO introduced Dynamax Battles and Dynamax Pokémon, a mechanic originating fromPokémon Sword and Shield. Players can participate in these battles in-person or remotely.[65] Players must use a special currency called "MP" to join, the amount required varies according to the battle's difficulty level. In these battles, up to four players can fight a Dynamax Pokémon, in which they have to fill a meter by attacking in order to Dynamax or Gigantamax their own Pokémon. Each Pokémon's Max Move, which is only usable in Dynamax form and deals increased damage, is based on the type of their regular Fast Attack (except G-Max Moves, which are connected to species regardless of the Fast Attack). They may additionally use Max Guard, which increases defense, and Max Spirit, which restores health. If all Pokémon are knocked out, players can attempt usage of Max Cheer to increase the Max Meter. Only Dynamax Pokémon (marked on the Pokémon's information page), Gigantamax Pokémon (marked on the Pokémon's information page), Crowned Sword Zacian, Crowned Shield Zamazenta, and Eternatus can participate in Dynamax Battles, and only specific Pokémon can be obtained in Dynamax form.[66][67] Gigantamax Battles, which debuted in October 2024, operate in a similar way to Dynamax battles, with a significant difference being that up to 100 players can join a single battle (subdivided into teams of four or less). Much like Dynamax, only specific Pokémon caught from Gigantamax Battles are capable of transforming.[68] Before August 2025, Gigantamax Battles supported up to 40 players in one battle.[69]
The concept of Pokémon GO was conceived in 2014 bySatoru Iwata of Nintendo andTsunekazu Ishihara of The Pokémon Company as anApril Fools' Day collaboration withGoogle, called theGoogle Maps: Pokémon Challenge.[70] Ishihara was a fan of developer Niantic's previoustransreality game,Ingress, and viewed the concept of the game as a perfect match for thePokémon series.[15] Niantic, a subsidiary of Google, used thecrowdsourced[71] data fromIngress to populate the locations for PokéStops and gyms withinPokémon Go, data fromGoogle Maps to spawn specific Pokémon on certain terrain, and map display fromOpenStreetMap since December 2017.[72][73] The game's application logic uses theopen sourceKubernetes system - and due to the game's sheer scale of users at the time, a large amount of issues with the Kubernetes system were discovered and later resolved.[74] Niantic was spun off from Google as an independent company in 2015 following the company reorganization intoAlphabet Inc.[75]
In 2015, Ishihara dedicated his speech at the game's announcement on September 10 to Iwata, who had died two months prior.[76]Tatsuo Nomura, who joined Niantic in 2015 following his development of the Google Maps Pokémon Challenge,[77] acted as Director and Product Manager for the game.[78] The game'ssoundtrack was written by longtimePokémon series composer,Junichi Masuda, who helped with some of the game's design as well.[79] Among the game's graphic designers wasDennis Hwang, who previously produced the logo ofGmail while working forGoogle.[80]
On March 4, 2016, Niantic announced a Japan-exclusivebeta test would start later that month, allowing its player's assistance with the game's testing and improvement prior to its public release. The beta test was later expanded to other countries.[81] On April 7, it was announced that the beta would expand to Australia and New Zealand.[82] Then, on May 16, 2016, the signups for the field test were opened to the United States.[83][84] The test concluded on June 30, 2016.[85]
At the 2016San Diego Comic-Con,John Hanke, founder of Niantic, revealed the appearances of the three team leaders: Candela (Team Valor), Blanche (Team Mystic), and Spark (Team Instinct).[86][87] Hanke conveyed that approximately 10 percent of the ideas for the game were implemented. Future updates, including the trading feature, more Pokémon,[88] implementation of Pokémon Centers at PokéStops, a fix for the "three-step glitch", and easier training, were also confirmed.[89] He also stated that Niantic would be continuing support for the game for "years to come".[88] In an interview withTechCrunch in September 2016, Hanke hinted thatplayer vs. player Pokémon battles would be made available in a future update.[90] In December 2016,coffeehouse chainStarbucks and telecommunications companySprint collaborated with Nintendo to add PokéStops and gyms at certain locations of theirs throughout the United States.[91][92] The same month, a companion app forApple Watch devices was released, which allowed users to receive notifications about nearby Pokémon, but does not permit them to be caught using the watch.[93] In January 2017, five thousand more Starbucks locations became available as Gyms.[94] In February 2017, an update was published, introducing 100 species situated in the Johto region from the second generation of the core Pokémon series, which were added alongside the original 151. The update also included the addition of new Berries, new Pokémon encounter mechanics, and an expanded selection of avatar clothing options.[95][96] Some of the Pokémon introduced inRuby and Sapphire were added in late 2017, beginning with aHalloween event in October and fifty more in December. A weather system was added alongside the latter, allowing real-world weather to affect spawns and gameplay.[97] In November 2018, a game developed byGame Freak and heavily inspired byPokémon Go,Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! andLet's Go, Eevee! was released on theNintendo Switch.[98] This game featuresPokémon Go style catching with Joy-Con and integration between the two games.[99] In addition, a new Pokémon species called Meltan was revealed in September, becoming the first new Pokémon to debut inPokémon Go.[100] On October 10, 2018, The Pokémon Company and Niantic announced plans to introduce Pokémon fromDiamond and Pearl intoPokémon Go.[101] On October 12, Niantic heavily suggested one of theGeneration IV Pokémon that would arrive toPokémon Go.[102] On October 25, a feature referred to as Adventure Sync was announced, which will record the player's walking data in the background, even when the application is closed.[103] On October 26, Niantic announced research tasks for Bug-type Pokémon that will give players a opportunity to catch Shedinja throughout November.[104][105]
According to John Hanke in a January 2019 interview withBusiness Insider, 2018 sawGo become the game initially envisioned by Niantic.[106]
As Pokémon Go expanded through regional events and global marketing campaigns, Niantic faced coordination challenges among different regional agencies localizing materials that were visible worldwide, requiring additional efforts to maintain consistency.[107]
In 2020, Niantic made major changes to gameplay mechanisms considering theCOVID-19 pandemic which saw many players unable to leave their homes to play. These development shifts caused changes like the addition of indoor step tracking to count toward in-game distance challenges, long distance PVP battles, increased "incense" effectiveness, increased spawn points, and a doubled player radius.[108]
In March 2025, Niantic was purchased by theSaudi Arabia backed investment firm,Scopely, advancing Saudi Arabia's ambitions to become a "global hub" for gaming and to diversify their economy.[109][110]
ThePokémon Go Plus is aBluetooth Low Energywearable device, developed by Nintendo'sPlatform Technology Development division, that enables players to perform certain actions in the game without needing to look at theirsmart device.[111] When a player is in close proximity to a Pokémon or PokéStop, the Plus vibrates.[111] The player can then promptly press the button to capture the Pokémon or obtain items from the PokéStop; the player cannot check what they have received until the next time they open the app on their mobile device.[15] The design consists of a Poké Ball and the shape of theGoogle Maps pin.[111] The decision to create the device rather than create asmartwatch app was to increase uptake among players for whom a smartwatch is prohibitively expensive.[112] It was released in the United Kingdom and North America on September 16, 2016.[113][114][115] On July 14, 2023, the Pokémon Go Plus + was released, acting as the successor to the Pokémon Go Plus. The Plus + added the ability to automatically catch Pokémon and interact with Pokéstops along with sleep tracking features to be used withPokémon Sleep.
The game's official launch began on July 6, 2016, with releases in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Due to server strain caused by high usage upon release, Niantic CEO John Hanke stated that the release in other regions would be "paused until Niantic was comfortable" with fixing the issues.[145][146] European releases started on July 13, and the game became available to most of the continent over the following ten days.[123] The Japanese launch was initially reported to be on July 20;[147] however, the game's launch was delayed after a sponsorship deal withfast food chainMcDonald's was leaked,[148][149] instead releasing two days later.[128] Although the game was proposed to be released in France on July 15, it was postponed until July 24 out of respect and due to safety concerns following aterrorist attack inNice on July 14.[129][150] Following the shut down of third-party apps and websites in late, July 2016—significantly reducing the server strain—Niantic was able to resume pushing release globally.Central andSouth America and a large portion ofSoutheast Asia subsequently saw releases in early August.[131][133] Indonesia was the first Asian country to have the game functional, despite the game not being officially released in that region until August 6.[151]
In South Korea, the game was not officially released as major restrictions on the use of online mapping data existed. However, due to aglitch, a tiny area aroundSokcho in the northeastern part of the country was considered a part of Niantic'sNorth Korea mapping region, making the game fully functional in that area.[152][153] Numerous people took advantage of the glitch to play the game. Bus tickets from the capital city ofSeoul sold out and people living within Sokcho shared information on free Wi-Fi areas to tourists.[154] Players also discovered a Gym inPanmunjom, along the Korean Demilitarized Zone; however, Niantic later removed it from the game.[10] Following the release ofPokémon Go in Japan, parts ofBusan also became playable as parts of the city are considered part of Japan's mapping area due to the proximity ofTsushima Island.[155] The game officially released in the country in January 2017.[140]
Inmainland China, Google services are banned by theGreat Firewall, whereas the GPS function in the game is blocked by Niantic. Players ofPokémon Go in China are required to install the game withApp Store IDs from other regions and useVPN to access Google services in order to load the game, and some players even use aGPS spoofing app to bypass the GPS blocking. Some players also downloaded a clone app calledCity Spirit Go, which was released shortly afterPokémon Go's beta test in Japan.[156] As of 2020, the official game is still unplayable in most parts of China with GPS modules being blocked in-game.[citation needed]
Following its launch on August 6, 2016 in Taiwan, the game became extremely popular.[157]: 199 Taiwan's high degree of urbanization is conducive to the game's location-based features, and crowds of thousands played in the walkable metropolitan areas ofTaipei,Taichung,Tainan, andKaohsiung.[157]: 199 Chen Ching-Po became notable as "Uncle Pokémon" for rigging seventy-two smartphones (with more than twentyPokémon Go accounts) to his bicycle.[157]: 202
During its launch in Southeast Asia in August 2016, the game officially excludedMyanmar, but users in Thailand discovered that the game was fully playable in border cities near the nation.[158] The game was released in theBalkans,Macau, andCentral Asia in September 2016, and was also released throughoutAfrica, theMiddle East, andSouth Asia by the year's conclusion.[135][136][138][139]
On September 11, 2018, the game appeared in Russia's App Store and Google Play Store over two years after the first launch. However, Niantic did not officially announce this release.[142]
A graph of Nintendo's stock value in July 2016 depicting the surge in investment followingPokémon Go's initial release on July 7 and subsequent slump on July 25
Investors were buoyed by the response to the initial release ofPokémon Go on July 7, with Nintendo's share price elevating by an initial 10 percent[160] and by July 14, shares rose to as large as 50 percent.[161] Despite Nintendo only owning a 32 percent stake inThe Pokémon Company and an undisclosed stake in Niantic,[162][163] Nintendo's market value increased by $9 billion USD within five days of the release ofPokémon Go.[164] This trend continued for more than a week after the game's release and by July 19, the stock value of Nintendo more than doubled compared to its pre-release. Turnover sales reached a record-breaking ¥703.6 billion ($6.6 billion USD); and trading of the stock accounted for a quarter of all trades on theTokyo Stock Exchange's main board.[165] TheFinancial Times believed that investors were speculating not onPokémon Go as such, but on future Nintendo app releases being as successful as the company moves more into the mobile app market—an area they were historically reluctant to enter in the belief it wouldcannibalise its portable console and video game sales.[166] Nintendo plans to release four more smartphone app games by March 2017, and investors remarked thatPokémon Go showed Nintendo still has some of the "most valuable character intellectual property in the world" with franchises such asSuper Mario,The Legend of Zelda, andMetroid.[167]
By July 22, Nintendo gained ¥1.8 trillion ($17.6 billion USD) in market capitalization since the game's release.[168] However, following clarification from Nintendo that the company did not producePokémon Go nor had tangible financial gains from it, its stock fell by 18 percent—equating to a ¥708 billion ($6.7 billion USD) loss in market value—on July 25.[168][169] This was the largest single-day decline for Nintendo since 1990 and the maximum one-day exchange of finances allowed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company has an approximate 13 percent "effective economic stake" in the game, according toMacquarie Securities.[168]
The surge in stocks extended beyond Nintendo, withTomy,TV Tokyo, and theBank of Kyoto, among other companies, all seeing significant gains.[170] Similarly, Zagg, which owns a company that manufactures battery cases, saw a 25 percent rise in its stock in relation toPokémon Go.[171]
At launch, the game suffered from frequent server outages due to heavy usage.[172] The global server usage expectation for the game was surpassed within 15 minutes of the game's release in Australia and New Zealand, and peaked at fifty times the expected server traffic, or 10 times the expected worst-case scenario.[173] Frequent crashes and authentication errors plagued the game's release and lasted for several days. For the first two days after launch, players were unable to access the game through their Pokémon Trainer Club accounts; only Gmail-based accounts were able to gain access to the game.[174] Servers again suffered frequent outages in Australia on July 11; players blamed people in the United Kingdom for bypassing local servers and using Australian ones to play the game before its official release.[175] On July 16, a few hours after the release in many European countries, the game's servers temporarily went offline.[176] The outage was claimed by ahacking group called "PoodleCorp", who said they used aDDoS attack to shut them down,[177] although the problem was fixed later that day.[176][178] The next day, the servers went down again as the game was launched in Canada.[179] John Hanke issued an apology for the server issues at the 2016San Diego Comic-Con, stating "we weren't provisioned for what happened".[89]
Some early iOS installs ofPokémon Go required users to provide the app with full access to theirGoogle accounts, thereby allowing the app to "access players'Gmail-based email,Google Drive-based files, photos and videos stored in Google Photos, and any other content within their Google accounts".[180][181][182] The Pokémon Company and Niantic responded to the concerns, recognizing that the iOS app, at the time, "... erroneously requests full access permission for the user's Google account ..."[183][184] However, Adam Reeve—the person who initially made accusations of the security issues in aTumblr post—later backtracked on his claim and was not "100 percent sure" it was valid.[185][186] Dan Guido, CEO of the security company Trail of Bits, analyzed the app's programming and discovered that although the game did request full account access, this did not enable third-party account usage as initially conveyed. Guido found that this did enable Niantic to access people's email addresses and phone numbers unintentionally.[185] A subsequent iOS app update reduced the scope of access.[187] Niantic also issued a statement assuring users that no information was collected nor was any information beyond what was necessary to use the app accessed.[186]
Alongside server issues,Pokémon Go suffered from severalglitches. One of the more prominent bugs appeared in mid-July 2016 and rendered the game's tracking feature useless. Normally, this feature shows between zero and three footprints to inform the player of their proximity to a nearby Pokémon; however, it universally became "stuck" at three steps, earning it the name "three-step-glitch".[188] Niantic removed the footstep feature completely on July 30,[189] sparking criticism from players.[190] By August 1, players reported a new glitch that swaps their captured Pokémon with another one at random.[191] Another bug, confirmed by Niantic in August, inadvertently made capturing Pokémon more difficult. SomeLegendary Pokémon, which are rare and powerful versions of the creatures, were also obtained by players in a glitch, though they were later removed from the accounts of the trainers who obtained them to keep the game fair.[192]
Pokémon Go released to "mixed or average" reviews, according toreview aggregatorMetacritic. Upon release, critics called the experience enjoyable, but noted the game's technical issues.[13][197][204]
Critics praised various aspects ofPokémon Go. Oscar Dayus (Pocket Gamer) said that the game was an immensely enjoyable experience and continued with how "the very personal nature of catching Pokémon in your own neighborhood made me smile more than any game has for years."[204] Jeremy Parish (US Gamer) compared the game and its social aspects to amassively multiplayer online game.[205] Reviewers also praised the game for its promotion of physical exercise. Terri Schwartz (IGN) stated it was "secretly the best exercise app out there" and that it altered her daily walking routine.[206] Patrick Allen (Lifehacker) wrote an article with tips describing how to exercise usingPokémon Go.[207]Julia Belluz (Vox) said it could be the "greatest unintentional health fad ever" and wrote that one of the results of the game that the developers may not have realized was that "it seems to be getting people moving".[208] Studies proved users took an extra 194 steps per day on average once they started using the app, which approximated to 26 percent more than the usual.[209]IGN named it the 100th best video game of all time in 2018.[210]
Philip Kollar and Allegra Frank (Polygon) both agreed thatPokémon Go was "an exciting social experience", but were unsure how long the game and its popularity would last, stating it could either last for many years or "end up as a brush fire craze that the whole gaming world is talking about for a few weeks and then it is forgotten".[200]
Other critics expressed more negative opinions of the game, with many citing frequent crashes and other technical issues, along with shallow gameplay.[8] Kallie Plagge (IGN) said that although the game lacked in polish and depth, the overall experience accounted for it.[197]Matt Peckham (Time) criticized the game for its frequent crashes.[8] Mike Cosimano (Destructoid) also took issue with the game, saying the original idea showed promise, but was improperly executed.[9] Kat Brewster (The Guardian) wrote that although she thoughtPokémon Go was not a good game, it was "a great experience".[201] The server problems also received negative press. Miguel Concepcion (GameSpot) said that although he enjoyed the game's strong social appeal and visual design, the game's "initial iteration is a buggy mess on all levels", with one of the reasons being the constant server issues.[13] Another glitch that appeared a few days after launch was the "three-step glitch", which made it impossible to "hunt down a specific Pokémon". Patricia Hernandez (Kotaku) said, "the three-step-glitch adds to what has been a terrible launch forPokémon Go".[211] Critics also emphasized the large gap between the rural and urban players. Rural players seem to be at a major disadvantage when playing the game, while city players have access to more PokéStops and Gyms.[212]
Pokémon Go rapidly rose to the American iOS App Store's "Top Grossing" and "Free" charts.[213][214] It has become the fastest game to top the App Store andGoogle Play, beatingClash Royale,[215] and it became the most downloaded app on the App Store of any application in the first week.[216] Within two days of release, it was installed on more than 5 percent of Android devices in the United States, according toSimilarWeb,[217] According to Sensor Tower, the game was downloaded more than 10 million times within the first week of being released, becoming the fastest app to ever do so,[218] and reached 15 million global downloads by July 13.[219] According toSurveyMonkey the game became the most active mobile game in the United States all of time with 21 million active users on July 12, eclipsingCandy Crush Saga's peak of 20 million.[220] By July 15, approximately 1.3 million people were playing the game in the Netherlands, despite the app not being officially released in the country at the time.[221] On the day of release in Japan, more than 10 million people downloaded the game,[222] including 1.3 million in the first three hours.[223] By July 31, the game exceeded 100 million downloads worldwide, according to App Annie and Sensor Tower.[190][224] On August 8,Pokémon Go reached the milestone of over 100 million downloads on Google Play alone after barely 33 days on the market.[225][226]
Through in-game purchases, the game accumulated more than$160 million USD by the end of July 2016,[227] with App Annie reporting thatPokémon Go had generated around$10 million in revenue every day that entire month.[228] The same month, Sensor Tower reported that the game had exceeded$200 million in worldwide revenue, beating every existing record set byClash of Clans andCandy Crush by a wide margin.[229] On August 12, 2016, theFinancial Times reported thatPokémon Go reached$268 million in revenue after five weeks counting only the U.S., British, and German markets.[230] The average daily usage of the app on Android devices in July 2016 exceeded that ofSnapchat,Tinder,Twitter,Instagram, andFacebook.[231] Due by the game's massive popularity, several app developers became focused on developing similar AR apps using availablesoftware development kits (SDK). By September 2, 2016,Pokémon Go had generated more than $440 million in global revenue, according to Sensor Tower.[232] By September 30, it had received500 million downloads and grossed$470 million in 80 days, according to market research firm Newzoo.[233] Pokémon Go reached the milestone of $600 million in revenue after only 90 days on the market, becoming the fastest mobile game ever to do so.[234]
Besides in-game purchases, partnerships with retail chains like Starbucks,[235] McDonald's,[236] Sprint,[237] pay Niantic Labs for "Foot Traffic" on-demand of the retail shops.
The game was awarded fiveGuinness World Records in August 2016: most revenue grossed by a mobile game in its first month ($206.5 million USD); most downloaded mobile game in its first month (130 million downloads); most international charts topped simultaneously for a mobile game in its first month (top game in 70 different countries); most international charts topped simultaneously for a mobile game in its first month (top grossing in 55 countries simultaneously); and fastest time to gross $100 million by a mobile game (reached in 20 days on July 26).[238] By September 2016,Pokémon Go had been downloaded over 500 million times worldwide, and became the fastest game to generate $500 million in revenue.[239]Pokémon Go was awarded the App Store's breakout hit of 2016.[240]Pokémon Go was reported to be the most searched game on Google in 2016.[241]
Usage of the game in the United States peaked on July 15, 2016; by mid-September it had lost 79 percent of its players in the country.Forbes said "the vaguely curious stopped playing and the more committed players ran up against a fairly unsatisfying endgame".[242] In October 2016, Niantic released aHalloween-themed event, which saw a surge in revenue up to 133 percent as reported by Sensor Tower, placing the game back to top of the leaderboard of highest grossing apps. It was reported that the game earned approximately $23.3 million USD between October 25 and 29, up from approximately $10 million USD between October 18 and 22.[243] According to App Annie,Pokémon Go grossed an estimated$950 million USD total in 2016.[244]
In February 2017,Pokémon Go was awarded for being the best app at the Crunchies award event.[245] By February 2017, the game has been downloaded more than650 million times globally, with a reported$1 billion in revenue made, becoming the fastest mobile game ever to do so.[246][247] By June 2017, the game was downloaded more than 750 million times,[248] with an estimated revenue of$1.2 billion according to Apptopia.[249] According to mobile app research firm Apptopia, approximately 60 million users were still playing the game a year after its launch.[250] In May 2018,The Pokémon Company announced that the game reached over 800million downloads worldwide.[251]Forbes estimated that the game possibly came close to 900million downloads by September, 2018.[252] The top five countries where it has received the most downloads are the United States (21.0 percent), Brazil (9.3 percent), India (8.6 percent), Mexico (5.5 percent), and Indonesia (5.0 percent).[253] As of February 2019, the game exceeded 1billion downloads worldwide.[254]
A report fromSuperData Research rankedPokémon Go as the 9th highest grossing mobile game of 2017, with an annual revenue of$890 million.[255][256]Bloomberg estimated thatPokémon Go generated up to$2 billion in total revenue by late 2017.[257] Two years from its initial launch, analyst firm Sensor Tower estimated the game had grossed over$1.8 billion fromin-app purchases, reporting that players around the world continue to spend$2 million each day.[258] SuperData Research reported that, in May 2018,Pokémon Go grossed$104 million in monthly revenue and had147 millionmonthly active players, its highest since Summer 2016.[259] In July 2018,Pokémon Go was the top-grossing mobile app of the month.[260] Since the introduction of trading and friends features, Sensor Tower has reported that players spend an average of$2.5 million per day.[261][262] Apptopia reported that, by September 2018, the game had grossed over$2 billion from in-app purchases;[263] the top five countries where it has received the most revenue are Japan ($670 million), the United States ($550 million), Germany ($88 million), the United Kingdom ($86 million), and Australia ($52 million).[253] It was the fourth highest-grossing game of 2018, with$1.3 billion,[264] and in 2019 alonePokémon Go earned$1.4 billion, according to Superdata Research, a division ofNielsen Media Research.[265]Pokémon Go live events earned$249 million in tourism revenue during 2019.[266] According to Sensor Tower in November 2020,Pokémon Go had accumulated nearly600 million unique installs and generated almost$4.2 billion in revenue from in-game purchases via theiOS App Store andGoogle Play. Its largest market in terms of both installs and revenue is the United States, followed by Japan and Germany in revenue and by Brazil and Mexico in installs.[267]
During 2020, with theCOVID-19 pandemic causing restrictions on the ability of players to playGo outside of their homes, Niantic implemented new features which allowed players to play the game from inside of their homes, and this was credited with increasing its player-base throughout the year despite the restrictions. Despite a brief drop early in the pandemic, the number ofmonthly active users of the game rose by 45 percent between January and August 2020, and the game's revenue in 2020 was the highest in its history, exceeding even its 2016 revenue.[268] The game generated more than$1 billion of revenue in the first 10 months of 2020 according to Sensor Tower,[267] and it was the top-grossing mobile game of December 2020.[269]Pokémon Go was one of the top fivehighest-grossing games of 2020 with an annual revenue of$1.92 billion according to SuperData Research,[270] bringing the game's cumulative revenue to$6.46 billion by 2020.[244][255][264][265][270] The game generated a further$641.6 million in the first half of 2021.[271]
The game was referred to as a "social media phenomenon" which has brought people together from all walks of life.[272][273] 231 million people engaged in 1.1 billion interactions that mentionedPokémon Go on Facebook and Instagram in the month of July.[274] Numerous media outlets referred to the surge in popularity as "Pokémon Go Mania", or simply "Pokémania".[275][276] The massive popularity of the game resulted in several unusual positive effects. For example, the game placed players where they can help capture criminals and report crimes in progress, although it has also placed some in dangerous situations,[277][278][279][280] and has even aided law enforcement's community relations,[281] albeit with caveats.[282] Businesses also benefited from the nearby presence of PokéStops (or from their business being a PokéStop) with the concomitant influx of people,[283][284][285] and the intense exploration of communities has brought local history to the forefront.[286] The game was also viewed bringing its players toplaces of worship, as many Pokégyms are located in these areas.[287] Despite some criticism by religious leaders, this was received positively by religious groups, who saw it as reminding adherents to come and pray.[288] Some establishments even considered purchasing lures in the game to attract additional players to PokéStops on their property.[289] Within a week of its release, a secondarymarket emerged for the game, both for the resell of high-level accounts onCraigslist and PlayerUp, and for the sale of expert advice onThumbtack.[290][291] Wireless providerT-Mobile US started an offer for free data for a year forPokémon Go sessions,[292][293] andYelp added a filter that only shows businesses which have a PokéStop nearby.[294][295] National parks across the United States saw an influx of visitors due to the game, with "hundreds or thousands" of people visiting theNational Mall and Memorial Parks inWashington, D.C. on the weekend followingPokémon Go's release in the country.[296] Small museums with PokéStops placed at exhibits also reported increased attendance, such as theMcNay Art Museum inSan Antonio, Texas, and theMorikami Museum and Japanese Gardens inBoca Raton, Florida.[289] Charity organizations also sought engagement from players, with animal shelters offering dog walks to people who want to hatch eggs in-game.[297]
Players gathering around a "Gym" in a park inBrest, France.
The game was credited for popularizing AR,[305] and was praised bygenderfluid groups for letting the players choose a "style" instead of "gender".[4] The game also had a positive impact among individuals withautism.[306][307][308] The "Pokémon Theme" from theanimated series saw a 630% increase in listeners onmusic streaming platformSpotify during the month of the game's release.[309] Meanwhile, streaming services such asHulu experienced an increased viewership of thePokémon series and films.[310] Nintendo reported that sales of the3DSPokémon games increased as a result of the game's popularity.[311] ATwitch channel,Twitch Plays Pokémon Go, was created that mimics the crowd-playedTwitch Plays Pokémon channel, allowing viewers to direct a virtual avatar in the game using an iPhone programmed to spoof its GPS location.[312] Niantic later issued permanent bans to those who cheated the game by means such as GPS spoofing and bots.[313]Pokémon-themedpornography increased in popularity after the release of the game.xHamster, anadult video streaming website, reported that within five days of the game's release,Pokémon related terms were the most searched for videos.[314][315] Another adult video streaming website,Pornhub, reported thatPokémon related searches spiked 136 percent.[316][317]Pokémon Go wasspoofed in theMaroon 5 music video, "Don't Wanna Know".[318] In the 2016Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", the Doctor creates a distraction by "flooding the downstairs with Pokémon", causing the people to run off with their cellphones.[319] In the episode "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" from the28th season ofThe Simpsons, the people ofSpringfield become addicted toPeekimon Get, a parody ofPokémon Go.[320]
Go's release resulted in a resurgence in popularity for thePokémon franchise as a whole.[321] ThePokémon Sun andMoon games for theNintendo 3DS, released later in 2016, was the best-selling video game for the 3DS with over 16 million copies sold, and this was partly attributed to the new fans to the series brought in byGo.[322] In an interview, director ofSun andMoon Shigeru Ohmori remarked that theUltra Sun andUltra Moon sequels were designed partly to facilitate entry for newcomers to the franchise brought in byGo.[323] The firstPokémon games for theNintendo Switch,Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! andLet's Go, Eevee!, took significant inspirations fromGo.[324][325] A line of officialGo merchandise was released in November 2019.[326]
Players during thePokémon Go Fest inChicago, 2017.
In addition to standard game-play, the game has held several in-game and live events.[327][328][329] The first live event officially held by Niantic was held inCharlotte, North Carolina, in May 2017.[330] In July 2017, a community event was held inGrant Park, Chicago, in honor of the first anniversary of the game's release.[331] Despite the fact that almost no information about the event, including ticket prices and attractions, was released by Niantic ahead of the ticket sale, over 20,000 tickets sold out within a half hour.[332][333] During the event itself, attendees suffered connectivity issues and crashes, due to the heavy amount of localized cellular activity.[334] Afterwards, Niantic announced that they would refund everybody who bought a ticket, as well as supply them $100 of in-game currency.[335] Following the event, around two dozen attendees filed a lawsuit against Niantic, seeking travel reimbursement.[336]
In January 2018, Niantic announced a monthly community event called Community Day, which aims to get players to meet up in their local areas. During a multi-hour period, players can encounter more frequent wild spawns of a particular Pokémon, an exclusive move for that Pokémon (or its evolution), an increased probability to obtain the shiny form of that Pokémon, and bonuses such as extra Stardust or XP.[341] The Community Days in 2018 featured Pikachu (January 20), Dratini (February 24), Bulbasaur (March 25), Mareep (April 15), Charmander (May 19), Larvitar (June 16), Squirtle (July 8), Eevee (August 11–12), Chikorita (September 22), Beldum (October 21), and Cyndaquil (November 10).[342]
Pokémon Go in Syria is a photography series published in 2016 by Syrian artistKhaled Akil.[343][344] Akil places Pokémon characters in destroyed Syrian streets as a reminder for a world lost behind the screen.[345][346][347] WhilePokémon Go was trending worldwide,[348] Akil couldn't help but notice how the media forgot about the war in Syria, and visualized his idea in the form of digital collages.[349][350][351][352][353] Khaled's Pokémon series quickly went viral across the globe after he posted it online.[354][355] This photography series was exhibited in various locations including theAmerican University Museum.[356][357]
Police departments in various countries issued warnings, sometongue-in-cheek, regarding inattentive driving, trespassing, and being targeted by criminals due to being unaware of one's surroundings.[374][375] In the state ofNew York,sex offenders are banned from using the application while onparole.[376] Bosnian players were warned to avoid going into minefields left over from the 1990sBosnian War.[377] In Russia, a 21-year-old video blogger, Ruslan Sokolovsky, was arrested in September 2016 for two months after playingPokémon Go at theChurch of All Saints inYekaterinburg,[378] and eventually received a suspended sentence for three and a half years in prison for charges ofblasphemy.[379]
Several signs, like this one atNijō Castle, were placed on castles and other monuments around Japan.
People have suffered various injuries from accidents related to the game.[380][381][382][383] In Japan, the first accident occurred within hours of the game's release.[384] The first death in Japan attributed toPokémon Go occurred in late August 2016. Adistracted driver playing the game killed one woman and badly injured another. The 39-year-old farmer did not notice the women crossing a street and hit them with his truck. The woman died due to broken neck. Japan's National Police Agency said it was the 79thPokémon Go-related accident in the country.[385] On August 11, 2016, a young girl inCambodia was reportedly killed after being hit by a car while trying to capture a Pokémon located on a road. The case was the first death related toPokémon Go among Southeast Asian countries.[386] In January 2017, Chinese-American civilianJiansheng Chen was shot dead while playingPokémon Go.
Al-Azhar University inCairo described the game as "harmful mania."[387] ACossack leader declared that it "smacks ofSatanism", Kuwait banned the game from government sites, Indonesian officials deemed it a national security threat, and in Israel theIDF banned the game from Army bases out of security considerations.[388] In Saudi Arabia, the General Secretariat of theCouncil of Senior Scholars declared, in light of a 2001fatwa banning thePokémon card game asa form of gambling, that the electronic app required a new ruling.[389] This was also followed by both Indian andMalaysian Islamic leaders telling Indian and Malaysian Muslims to avoid the game.[390][391]
During Thailand's2016 constitutional referendum polling,Pokémon Go players were told to refrain from entering polling stations.[392] Thus theThai National Broadcasting and Communications Commission intends to ask Niantic to remove Pokémon characters and PokéStops from locations such as government facilities, historic and religious sites, private property as well as dangerous spots such as narrow footpaths and rivers.[393] Cambodia has banned the game in a former genocide site after Pokémon players showed up there.[394] Vietnam has banned players from entering the government and defense offices.[395] TheVietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications is also considering the game's negative impact to Vietnamese society, where many people left home at night, crossed the road or drove on the street with their eyes kept focused on phones, which brought the need to ban the game in the country.[396] Following the move by other Southeast Asian neighbors, the Philippines also banned the game in all administration offices.[397] According to a survey by Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), around 4 percent of employers in Malaysia fired their staff for playing the game during working hours.[398]
Russia also voiced their concerns over the application, withNikolay Nikiforov, the country'sMinister of Communications and Mass Media, suspecting foreign intelligence agencies using the application to collect information, while some fundamentalist religious groups in the region declare it to bedemonic.[399] The Supreme Council of Virtual Space inIran officially banned the game in August 2016 over security concerns.[400] The same month,The Pentagon facility in the U.S. restricted the use of the game on their property, citing security risks by collecting private information.[401] In the United Kingdom, 290 police incidents were reported to have occurred in July 2016 in the country due to the game.[402] In September 2016, Niantic stopped supporting theCyanogenMod mobile operating system. This prevented users playing on CyanogenMod from playing the game from that point forward.[403]
In India, the Gujarat High Court issued a notice to Niantic on the grounds of "posing danger to public safety".The notice was issued on a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seeking a ban on the game in India. In addition, a second PIL was filed against the developers ofPokémon Go for hurting religious sentiments by showing images of eggs in places of worship of different religious groups, but the game was not banned.[404]
Pokémon Go's targeted local advertising has been described byShoshana Zuboff inThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism as an experiment that initiated from Google to move targeted advertising from the digital domain (cost per click) into the physical domain (cost per visit) by the use of sponsored locations. "In the end we recognize that the probe was designed to explore the next frontier: the means of behavioral modification. The game about the game is, in fact, an experimental facsimile of surveillance capitalism's design for our future."[405]
Some players ofPokémon Go have been known to vandalizeOpenStreetMap, one of the game's map data sources, to manipulate game-play.[406]
Multiple unofficial, third-party applications were created to correspond withPokémon Go. Notable apps include "Poké Radar" and "Helper forPokémon Go", where players can crowd-source much of the Pokémon that can be found in the game at a particular time.[407][408] At its peak of popularity, "Poké Radar" hit #2 on the Apple App Store, behindPokémon Go itself.[409][410][411]
Another app, GoChat, which allows players to leave messages for other players at specific locations, accrued more than 1 million downloads in five days and reached the top 10 in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.[412] However, the app's developer Jonathan Zarra decided to leave the app non-monetized and had financial trouble keeping the application's servers online until bringing on angel investor and board member,Michael Robertson. After acquiring significant funding, the app reached over 2 million active users.[413][414] According toRiskIQ, at least 215 fake versions of the game were available by July 17, 2016. Several of these fake apps contained malicious programming and viruses.[415]
Launched on July 22, 2016, "Pokévision" enabled players to find exactly where Pokémon spawned and how much time there was until they despawned; the site used data hacked directly from the game.[416] In the five days following the website's launch, 27 million unique visitors used the site.[417] On July 31, multiple search apps and sites, including Pokévision, were disabled as they violated Niantic's terms of service.[418]
In March 2025,Niantic announced that it would sell its video-game division, including Pokémon Go, to mobile publisherScopely for $3.5 billion.[419] The deal, confirmed on March 12, 2025, encompassed Niantic's flagship titles (Pokémon Go,Pikmin Bloom,Monster Hunter Now) and companion apps Campfire and Wayfarer, while augmented reality games Ingress and Peridot were retained by the spun-off entity Niantic Spatial.[420] As part of the transaction, Niantic distributed $350 million to its equity holders and funded Niantic Spatial with $250 million—$200 million from its balance sheet and $50 million from Scopely—under the continued leadership of CEOJohn Hanke.[419] The acquisition was finished on May 29, 2025, following regulatory approval, and led to the layoff of 68 employees at Niantic's Ferry Building headquarters in San Francisco.[421]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Niantic responded by implementing changes and new features in the game which allowed players to easily play remotely.[422] However, starting on August 1, 2021, Niantic began rolling back these changes as part of its Exploration Bonus Updates. Players in New Zealand and the United States were the first to receive the post-pandemic changes, and gradually, they were rolled out to the rest of the world "in accordance with recommendations from global health organizations".[422] In fear of violations in health and personal safety regulations, as well asnegatively impacting players with disabilities, the company has since received heavy criticism from the player base (including top players Brandon Tan and Nick Oyzon) due to their reverting safety measures implemented during the pandemic, in which gym and Pokéstop interaction distances were increased from 40 to 80 meters. Despite increasing rates of theSARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in various U.S. states (resulting in overflowing hospitals), Niantic are firm on not keeping the pandemic bonuses. Players began boycottingPokémon Go since in first week of August 2021.[423][424][425][426]
OnTwitter, the #HearUsNiantic started trending worldwide as fans and players voiced their censure towards Niantic's decision to remove the pandemic bonuses.[427][428] A letter was sent to Niantic, which responded to the community by stating that the pandemic changes will not stay.[429] As Niantic is an AR company, part of its business strategy is to sell user data by players after completing AR Mapping tasks where they can log their surroundings at marked PokéStops in their in-game maps.[430] The reduced distance means an increased potential for Niantic to generate more revenue. Another reason for the changes is for Niantic to preserve its image as an AR tech giant; on its blog post it stated that its "mission" is to "encourage outdoor exploration" and "to connect people to real places in the real world, and to visit places that are worth exploration."[431]
In 2025, despite Niantic's gradual rollback of some pandemic-era safety measures, several game-play adjustments introduced in early 2020 remain permanent changes. The interaction distance for PokéStops and Gyms—doubled from 40 meters to 80 meters at the onset of the pandemic—was reinstated as the baseline radius on August 26, 2021.[432] Remote Raid Battles have since been fully integrated: as of May 13, 2025, Trainers may use up to 10 Remote Raid Passes per day to join Shadow Raids and Max Battles from anywhere, and bundles of passes are now available in the Pokémon GO Web Store.[433] Incense retains its pandemic-era duration and spawn rates—lasting 60 minutes and generating one Pokémon per minute while moving (or one every five minutes when stationary) and Adventure Sync continues to record walking distance in the background to hatch Eggs and earn Buddy Candy even when the app is closed. Gift interactions also remain flexible, with a daily cap of 30 opened gifts instituted in March 2020 still in effect.
^At the time of the game's launch, only 145 of the original 151 Pokémon were available to players, four of which are regionally exclusive:Farfetch'd,Kangaskhan,Tauros andMr. Mime are exclusive toEast Asia,Australia, United States andEurope, respectively.
^ab「ポケモンGO」、日本でも配信開始 (in Japanese). Tokyo: Nikkei News. Nikkei Quick New (NQN). July 22, 2016.Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. RetrievedJuly 22, 2016.
^Low, Aloysius (July 15, 2016)."Pokemon Go is strangely working in one Asian country: Indonesia".cnet.com.Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. RetrievedAugust 8, 2016.Buhori Dermawan, a developer working in the country's capital Jakarta, told CNET that he has been playing for about two weeks now, has gotten up to level 17 and has a healthy collection of 75 Pokemon in his Pokedex.
^abcHe, Keren; Eyman, Douglas; Sun, Hongmei (2024). "Gaming while Aging: TheLudification of Later Life in Pokémon Go". In Guo, Li; Eyman, Douglas; Sun, Hongmei (eds.).Games & Play in Chinese & Sinophone Cultures. Seattle, WA:University of Washington Press.ISBN9780295752402.
^abKollar, Philip; Frank, Allegra (July 14, 2016)."Pokémon Go review".Polygon. Vox Media.Archived from the original on July 17, 2016. RetrievedJuly 17, 2016.
^Holmes, David (July 24, 2017)."Chester goes Pokémon GO crazy".The Chester Chronicle.Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2017.
^Stortstrom, Mary (July 14, 2016)."Police: Don't fall 'catching them all'".The Journal.Martinsburg, West Virginia. Archived fromthe original on September 18, 2016. RetrievedJuly 17, 2016.A 12-year-old Jefferson County boy suffered a broken femur bone Tuesday night while playing the Pokemon game just off Shipley School Road. A Harpers Ferry first-responder said Wednesday morning the boy was running in the dark and fell off a five-foot-high storm sewer and suffered the leg injury.
^Zuboff, Shoshana (January 31, 2019).The age of surveillance capitalism : the fight for the future at the new frontier of power. London. p. 301.ISBN978-1-78125-684-8.OCLC1045067848.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
