Pokémon Go’s new social features grow active users by 35 percent

Niantic revealed today that Pokémon Go has had a 35 percent increase in active users since May. The mobile game added new social features, friend links and gifting, that have given players more ways to connect to each other, and they have responded by jumping onboard.

Pokémon Go became a sensation when it launched in 2016, drawing millions of players (and even getting mainstream news headlines) with its real-world augmented reality gameplay. Things cooled down a bit, but player numbers were at their highest this summer since that initial boon.