Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game tied to Nintendo’s best-selling Pokémon franchise. Gameplay sees users encountering the eponymous creatures in real-world settings, utilising mobile GPS. Users can catch and train the Pokémon, then battle against other users, mimicking gameplay of the videogame series.
Despite carrying the name of one of Nintendo’s marquee titles, Pokémon Go was developed by San Francisco-based game developer Niantic. Niantic specialises in AR games, and was originally founded as an internal startup within Google. The Pokémon Company, responsible for brand management, production, marketing and licensing of the franchise served as a go-between between the two.
The game launched in July 2016 and became not just a smash hit game, but a global cultural phenomenon. In the summer of 2016, it seemed as if there was no getting away from Pokémon Go. There was even a Pokémon Go Frappuccino! It also inspired 200,000 Spotify playlists.
Accordingly, a spate of records were broken.
Pokémon Go revenue in the first month broke records, at $207 million. This was despite its launch being staggered, with its Japanese release not occurring until two weeks after general release. It was also the most downloaded, topped most international charts, and grossed $100 million in a mere 20 days.
The success, however, could not be sustained. Pokémon Go seemed to be an all-conquering phenomenon in its first few months, but hype died as the summer ended and people moved on to other things. At its peak, Pokémon Go was drawing in over well over 250 million people per month, by December 2016 that number had fallen to less than 50 million.
Since the initial crash, there has been growth every year, as more players return to Pokémon Go and Niantic adds new highly-requested features to the game. To that end, Niantic has brought in more revenue every year for the title, surpassing $1 billion for the first time in 2020.
We have collected data and statistics on Pokémon Go. Read on below to find out more.
Pokémon Go key statistics
- Pokémon Go made $1.21 billion revenue in 2021, the second year in a row it made over $1 billion
- 71 million people played Pokémon Go in 2021. It peaked at 232 million active players in 2016
- Niantic was valued at $9 billion in 2021, off the back of Pokémon Go’s sustained popularity
Pokémon Go overview
| Title 1 | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 6 July 2016 |
| HQ | San Francisco, California |
| People | Tatsuo Nomura (Pokémon Go director), John Hanke (Niantic CEO) |
| Owner | Niantic |
| Business type | Private |
Pokémon Go revenue
Pokémon Go steadily increased its annual revenues from 2018 to 2020. Revenue slipped slightly in 2021 to $1.21 billion.
Pokémon Go annual revenue 2016 to 2021 ($bn)
| Year | Revenue ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.83 |
| 2017 | 0.58 |
| 2018 | 0.81 |
| 2019 | 0.89 |
| 2020 | 1.23 |
| 2021 | 1.21 |
Sources: Niantic, Sensor Tower
Pokémon Go users
After 2016, Pokémon Go dropped to its lowest levels of activity with 65 million users. That rose to 133 million in 2018, but has steadily decreased to 71 million in 2021.
Pokémon Go annual active players 2016 to 2021 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 232 |
| 2017 | 65 |
| 2018 | 131 |
| 2019 | 113 |
| 2020 | 86 |
| 2021 | 71 |
Sources: Activeplayer.io, Sensor Tower, Statista
Pokémon Go downloads
Pokémon Go has been downloaded over 500 million times, although almost half of that was recorded in the first year.
Pokémon Go annual cumulative downloads 2016 to 2021 (mm)
| Year | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 260 |
| 2017 | 335 |
| 2018 | 394 |
| 2019 | 452 |
| 2020 | 514 |
| 2021 | 572 |
Source: AppMagic
Niantic valuation
Niantic valuation has increased from $150 million before publishing Pokémon Go to $9 billion in 2021. Pokémon Go is still the company’s most profitable and popular game.
Niantic private valuation 2015 to 2021 ($bn)
| Year | Valuation ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 0.15 |
| 2016 | 3.65 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2021 | 9 |
Source: Crunchbase
Pokémon Go FAQ
How popular is Pokémon Go?
After a slump in 2017, Pokémon Go has grown every year in popularity. It currently has over 150 million monthly active users
Where is Pokémon Go most popular?
The United States accounted for 19 percent of Pokémon Go downloads in 2019, followed by Brazil and India at 10 and 6 percent, respectively (Sensor Tower)
Where does Pokémon Go make the most revenue?
Users from the United States also contribute the most to Pokémon Go revenue, at $335 million or 38 percent of the total. Japan comes second, with $286 million (32 percent) and Germany third with $54 million (Sensor Tower)
What mobile platform does Pokémon Go generate most revenue?
Google Play accounted for 54 percent of Pokémon Go ($482 million) in 2019, iOS revenue came to $412 million
How much revenue does Pokémon Go make a day?
According to Sensor Tower, average daily revenue stood at $4 million
How many people attended Niantic live events?
2.7 million people attended Niantic events in 2019. There have not been any significant events in 2020
How far have Pokémon Go players walked collectively?
In 2016, Pokémon Go players walked 8.7 million km collectively, enough to get to the end of the Solar System. By March 2019, that value had risen to 23 billion km collectively.
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