Thanks to a recent report by Statista, it’s been revealed that everyone’s favourite get-out-and-catch-critters game, Pokemon GO, grossed a massive $566.38 million in 2023, and somehow, that number still managed to be a revenue drop.
Since Pokemon GO debuted in 2016, the game has been a massive user success. It’s constantly changing and evolving to make sure it keeps an active player base and remains one of the top names in the mobile games market.
Niantic drops frequent content updates to the game to keep players playing, like the ever-expanding Pokedex, Shadow Raids, and the Party Play that lets trainers team up with their friends.
But now to the actual news: according to the Statista report, Pokemon GO brought in $566.38 million in worldwide revenue last year, and while that number sounds impressive, it is the game’s lowest number since the $444.75 million generated in 2017.
In 2022, Pokemon GO earned $655.24 million, but the game’s best year to date was 2020 when the game raked in $908.94 million. 2023’s drop in revenue comes after a challenging year for the game when they made the controversial decision to increase the price of Remote Passes and implement limitations on the use of said passes, which resulted in a drop in participation in Remote Raids.
For those who don’t know, Remote Passes allow players to play the game from the safety of their homes; this was first introduced during the pandemic and has continued to be a hit with players even years later.
But now I want to hear from you. Is this drop in revenue much ado about nothing, or are Pokemon GO’s cracks starting to show? Let me know in the comments.