Friday, May 29, 2026

‘Pokemon GO’ Made $5 Billion in 5 Years

Design: Alex Brooks

“Pokemon GO” may not be all over your timeline the way it was in 2016, but its cashflow never slowed down.

The game has made $5 billion since it was released five years ago, per Sensor Tower.

Revenue jumped to $1.2 billion in 2020, a 41% increase from 2019. This year is set to be the best year ever for “Pokemon GO,” with 2021 revenue already up 34% from last year.

San-Francisco-based Niantic makes the game, in addition to a popular “Harry Potter” title. Last month, the company announced an upcoming “Transformers” game in a deal with Hasbro.

For all of its success, “Pokemon GO” still has room to grow on a global level.

  • The U.S. accounts for 18% of downloads, or 115.5 million — the highest user base from any country, followed by Brazil and India.
  • The U.S. brought in $1.9 billion of the total $5 billion in revenue — 36.6% of the game’s lifetime spending. Japan accounts for 32% of the total, with Germany next at 5.4%.

The virtual Pokemon GO Fest 2021 — which offers special challenges for players for a $5 admission fee — takes place on July 17-18.

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