Pokemon GO crosses $5 billion in player spending within 5 years of release

Pokemon Go is currently celebrating its five-year anniversary. The Augmented Reality mobile game by Niantic and Nintendo was released five years ago, in July 2016.

We’re excited to debut this year’s Pokémon GO illustration celebrating our #PokemonGO5YearAnniversary! What an amazing milestone that we’re glad to share with all of you today! pic.twitter.com/80hV5QNE4G

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 6, 2021

In no time, it changed the face of mobile gaming and became a fan favorite. The title reached 500 million downloads in less than three months and was the fastest to eclipse $500 million in revenue.

Pokemon Go was also the most searched game on Google in 2016, and it received five Guinness World Records a month after its launch.

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Pokemon Go crosses the five billion mark in earnings as it celebrates fifth anniversary

According to a new report by data analyst site Sensor Tower, the AR game has raked in over $5 billion in revenue to date, equating to an average of $1 billion a year.

Global first half-year player spending in Pokemon Go Image via Credits Sensor Tower)

In the first half of 2021, the game earned more than $640 million, making it the sixth-highest earning game, surpassing titles like Fre Fire and Candy Crush. Compared to the first half of 2020 and 2017, this represents an increase of 34 percent and 130 percent, respectively.

Pokemon Go remains the clear leader in the geolocation augmented reality category. The game lords over many challengers, such as Square Enix's Dragon Quest Walk, which has grossed $261 million this year, and Ludia's Jurassic World Alive.

Friendships are made in Pokémon GO—and some even evolve! Check out Hayden and Riley, then tag your ultimate raid buddy below. pic.twitter.com/e3botJBVVH

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 4, 2021

The United States is the most profitable market and accounted for more than $1.9 billion, or 36.6% of the total revenues. With 32 and 5.4 percent contributions, Japan and Germany are ranked 2nd and 3rd in the revenue rankings.

Google Play Store revenues total $2.7 billion, compared to $2.4 billion for Apple's App Store.

Also, the USA leads the way when it comes to downloads with 115.5 million, followed by Brazil and India. The total install so far tallies at 632 million.

Pokemon GO remains a highly popular game on mobile devices, enhanced by a steady stream of updates and new Pokemon to collect.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, a title primarily focused on being outside faced a potentially colossal challenge. By quickly adapting to the new reality and adding more stay-at-home options, the developers could keep players interested, and 2020 ended up being the best year for the game, raking in $1.3 billion globally.