Since its launch in July 2016,Pokemon GOhas managed to cement itself as mobile game royalty. Whether that be because the game houses all of players' favorite pocket monsters, or the gameplay is just so engaging, it’s not hard to see that the game has earned its throne and the spoils that come with it. In fact, players have proven that by spending $17.5 million dollars over the course of thePokemon GOFest2020 event, giving the game its largest spike in spending since 2016.
ThePokemon GOFest2020 event offered a multitude of activities for players, from catching rare shiny Pokemon, to new battles with the nefarious Team GO Rocket. In addition, Niantic provided new details about features coming to the game including a level cap increase, as well asMega Evolutions.
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It may be because of this plethora of content that caused players of the game to have this huge spike in spending, despiteprevalent server issues. According to Gamesindustry.biz,Pokemon GOplayers spent an estimated $8.9 million on July 25, and an estimated $8.6 million on July 26, making it the highest spending for the game since 2016 where it saw $13.3 million in one day.
Considering the on-going pandemic ofCOVID-19,Pokemon GO,and Niantic for that matter, certainly had its back against the wall to pull these numbers. Niantic’s games utilize features requiring its players to go out in public, making it hard to social distance. Thankfully, the company made several updates to howPokemon GOcould be played safely, like being able to participate in raids and live events from the comfort of one’s home.
While seeingPokemon GOcontinue to thrive even in these unprecedented times is a wonderful sight, Niantic isn’t done there. Following the massive success ofPokemon GOFest 2020, Niantic has now also pledged to donate $10 million to organizations fighting social injustice likeBlack Lives Matter. In addition, Niantic has promised to donate $60,000 to a nonprofit organization focused on helping kids learn about game development called Gamehead. It seems that whilePokemon GOmay be mobile game royalty, it is, in fact, a benevolent ruler.
