Pokémon Go Celebrates 10 Years of Continued Success and Engagement
WHO:
The Verge - Scopely, Niantic, Ed Wu (president of games at Scopely), Michael Steranka (VP of product at Scopely)
Fast Company - Ed Wu (part of the Pokémon Go team from day one), Niantic Labs (team behind Pokémon Go)
WHAT:
The Verge - Scopely's VP of product, Michael Steranka, stated, “When we first dreamt what Pokémon GO might become a decade ago, hosting more than a thousand people in a single, local raid battle was just a pipe dream.”
Fast Company - Ed Wu mentioned that Pokémon Go has attracted tens of millions of players every month, maintaining its popularity a decade after launch.
Fast Company - Scopely's Ed Wu noted that Pokémon Go's daily playtime is up 10% year over year.
Fast Company - Scopely's acquisition of Pokémon Go included the titles Monster Hunters and Pikmin Bloom, which have shown success in real-world gaming.
The Verge - The 10th anniversary event featured a special battle with an escaped Mewtwo Mega Evolving, attended by almost 2,000 players, many of whom were Pokémon Go influencers.
Fast Company - Pokémon Go generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024 alone.
Fast Company - Scopely acquired Pokémon Go and related titles for $3.5 billion last year.
Fast Company - Daily average users of Pikmin Bloom increased nearly 80% from April 2025 to April 2026.
The Verge - Pokémon Go celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event in Times Square attended by almost 2,000 players.
The Verge - Scopely reported over 800 million downloads of Pokémon Go since its launch.
The Verge - Pokémon Go generated $1 billion in revenue in 2025.
Fast Company - Pokémon Go surpassed 500 million downloads two months after its launch.
Fast Company - Pokémon Go has generated more than $9 billion in revenue since its launch, making it the fifth-most-lucrative mobile game of all time.
Fast Company - Daily playtime for Pokémon Go is up 10% year over year.
WHERE:
The Verge - The 10th anniversary event took place in Times Square, New York City.
Fast Company - Players have walked upwards of 60 billion miles since the game's launch.
WHEN:
The Verge - The Pokémon Go Fest is scheduled for July 11 and 12, 2026.
Fast Company - Niantic sold over 1 million tickets for the 2024 Pokémon Go Fest.
WHY:
The Verge - Scopely aims to evolve Pokémon Go to foster player communities and capitalize on new generations of players.
Fast Company - The vision behind Pokémon Go was to inspire people to explore the world together by making Pokémon feel real in the real world.
HOW:
Fast Company - Ed Wu expressed interest in using satellite connectivity to enhance gameplay in areas without traditional cellphone coverage, stating, “Pushing folks to explore, and to feel like this game is a meaningful reward when they get all the way out there, that’s really exciting.”
Fast Company - Scopely's team, now rebranded to Scopely Explore, is focused on gaming and aims for Pokémon Go to thrive for another decade, with potential innovations including satellite connectivity.
The Verge - The game encourages players to go out into the world to find wild, catchable Pokémon in specific areas.
Fast Company - Pokémon Go was developed using geodata from Niantic's previous game, Ingress, which also utilized real-world locations for gameplay.
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 00:15 UTC)
Scopely's VP of product, Michael Steranka, reflected on the evolution of Pokémon GO, recalling that hosting over a thousand players in a single raid battle was once just a dream. The game continues to thrive, attracting tens of millions of players each month and seeing a 10% increase in daily playtime year over year. Looking ahead, Scopely's Ed Wu is excited about the potential of satellite connectivity to enhance gameplay in areas lacking traditional cellphone coverage, encouraging players to explore and enjoy meaningful rewards.
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(UPDATED July 10, 2026 23:19 UTC)
Pokémon Go recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special event featuring a battle against an escaped Mewtwo Mega Evolving, drawing nearly 2,000 players, including many influencers from the Pokémon Go community. Last year, Scopely acquired Pokémon Go and related titles for $3.5 billion, and the game generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024 alone. Scopely's rebranded team, now known as Scopely Explore, is dedicated to ensuring Pokémon Go thrives for another decade, with exciting innovations like satellite connectivity on the horizon.
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(UPDATED July 10, 2026 22:25 UTC)
Pokémon Go recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a vibrant event in Times Square, drawing nearly 2,000 enthusiastic players. Since its launch, the game has achieved over 800 million downloads and generated more than $9 billion in revenue, making it the fifth-most-lucrative mobile game of all time. Looking ahead, the Pokémon Go Fest is set for July 11 and 12, 2026, as Scopely continues to evolve the game to foster player communities and inspire exploration in the real world.