'Pokémon GO' has made $5 billion since its release

It’s been five years since millions of gamers worldwide stormed churches, jumped into lakes, and literally fought each other in order to catch some rare Pikachus. Pokémon GO might not make headlines like it used to, but the augmented reality smash hit hasn’t faded away.

Gym Rattatas: Sensor Tower reported that the game, owned and operated by Niantic, surpassed $5 billion in total player spending since its July 2016 release. Pokémon GO made over $1.3 billion in 2020—its highest yearly total ever—due in part to gameplay adaptations for the pandemic.

• It’s on a similar pace this year, earning $642 million in H1 2021.

By far, users in the US and Japan have spent the most in the game, with Americans spending over $1.9 billion, or 36.6% of the game’s lifetime revenue spending. Japan came in second at 32%, putting German players in a distant third at 5.4%.

Gotta catch ’em all: Niantic has continued to update the game with new rewards and challenges for its players. Outside of Pokémon GO, it released another AR game centered around Harry Potter, with plans to release games based on Pikmin, Settlers of Catan, and Transformers in the near future.—JM