Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go (stylized as Pokémon GO) is an augmented reality mobile game that launched in 2016. It was originally created and published by Niantic, and since 2025 has been operated by Scopely Explore, working alongside Nintendo and the Pokémon Company. The game is available on iOS and Android, using GPS to let players find, catch, train, and battle Pokémon. It follows a free-to-play model with optional in-app purchases for extra items. At launch, the game included about 150 species of Pokémon, with more added regularly over time.

When it first came out, Pokémon Go received mixed or average reviews. Critics generally found the gameplay enjoyable but pointed out various technical problems. Even so, it became one of the most successful mobile apps of 2016, with over 500 million downloads globally. The game is widely recognized for making location-based and augmented reality technology mainstream, and for encouraging players to be more physically active and socially engaged. On the downside, it has been criticized for contributing to accidents and public disruptions. Some governments expressed security concerns and introduced rules to limit its use. By May 2018, the game had more than 147 million active users each month, and by early 2019 it had been downloaded over 1 billion times. As of 2020, it had earned more than 6 billion dollars in revenue. Many consider it one of the best mobile games ever made.

In 2025, Scopely bought the game as part of a 3.5 billion dollar acquisition of Niantic’s gaming division.

Gameplay

After creating an account, players can customize their avatar or keep the default one. The avatar appears on a map based on the player’s real-world GPS location. The map shows PokéStops and Gyms. Players can attach Lure Modules to PokéStops to draw wild Pokémon, including rare ones, to that spot. Gyms are battle arenas where teams compete in a king-of-the-hill style. These locations are usually real-world points of interest, originally taken from Ingress portals. Some Gyms and PokéStops ended up in problematic places, like the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the abandoned Bagram Air Force Base. Since 2019, players have been able to submit new locations, which other players then review.

As players move in the real world, their avatars move on the map.