It seems that 2020 has been a banner year for Pokemon Go and there are still two months to go. According to Sensor Tower, Niantic’s game has earned a staggering $1 billion in 2020 alone far outpacing last year’s $982 million. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, players may not have been outside collecting, but they have been playing thanks to a number of changes to the game to accommodate the need to stay indoors. As a result, players have had more time and opportunity to play the game and, yes, to spend their money on it. Since launch in 2016, and adding in this year’s total to date, PG has raked in over $4.2 billion.
Niantic has accommodated at-home players by allowing them to take part in Raids from home, though that change has been withdrawn as the shelter in place restrictions have lifted around the world.
With two months still to go in 2020, Pokémon GO has already achieved its best calendar year yet after surpassing $1 billion in player spending. The fact that it’s also the No. 3 mobile game by player spending so far this year is evidence of the power of consistent updates, engaging events, keeping an eye on factors that could affect game performance, and acting quickly to stay at the top. In some ways, Pokémon GO shouldn’t have succeeded in 2020, but its resilience should be a lesson to all developers in the space.
Learn more about Pokemon Go and its stellar year by visiting the links above or by heading to its official site.