Pokémon Go made almost $800 million in global revenue in 2018, according to market analysis firm Sensor Tower. That is up 35 percent compared to 2017.
Pokémon Go debuted in June 2016, and it became an immediate hit. The location-based mobile game’s popularity fell off a bit after that blistering start, but developer Niantic has been able to build a massive player base with constant updates, including the addition of more Pokémon and new features (such as trading and trainer battling).
Niantic’s free-to-play game had a strong December to close out the year, with player spending reaching $75 million for the month. That was up 32 percent from the $57.2 million Pokémon Go made in December 2017. This was likely thanks to the December launch of player battles, something the community has been clamoring for.
U.S. leads in spending
U.S. players spent the most money on the game, contributing $262 million, which is 33 percent of that $800 million total. That is the same percentage as 2017. Japan was close behind with $239 million, which is 30 percent of the global total. That is up from the 25 percent that Japan accounted for in 2017.
Pokémon Go’s total revenues since launch now stand at $2.2 billion. Sensor Tower notes that it’s possible the game hits the $3 billion mark in 2019.