Niantic and The Pokémon Company International announced the start of Pokémon Go’s latest in-game event, the Pokémon Go Eggstravaganza, in time for the Easter holiday.
Pokémon Go is still a mobile gaming hit, with 65 million monthly active users. But its popularity and revenues have begun to lag. Measurement firm Sensor Tower reported today that Pokémon Go slipped in the rankings for revenues and downloads in the first quarter, compared to previous quarters. In terms of revenue, Pokémon Go was No. 8 in the rankings in the first quarter for worldwide revenues.
And that means it could pay off if Niantic gets players to come back through live events. These have the potential to coax lapsed players to come back or new folks to come into the game, and this may entice them to spend money in the free-to-play game. Such events key to the long-term sustainability of any mobile product.
From now until 1 p.m. Pacific on April 20, players will be able to hatch a greater variety of Pokémon from their 2 km eggs. That means that if you walk 2 km while playing, you’ll get some better rewards. Trainers will also be able to earn more candy for every Pokémon hatched from an egg, and XP gains will be doubled and Lucky Eggs will be 50 percent off for the duration of the event.
Pokémon Go launched its first in-game event back during Halloween in 2016. That event helped the company grow again after growth had leveled off. Overall, Pokémon Go has generated more than $1 billion in revenues in less than a year on the market.