Pokemon Go players confess to spending thousands on the game

As some Pokemon Go players got together online to discuss their spending habits, it turns out that several of them have racked up thousands of pounds in the mobile game, and that’s before travel.

It can be pretty easy to rack up some serious bills with live-service games, as a title without a defined ending is designed to constantly siphon money from you.

Pokemon Go is definitely a live service game, and as it’s been around for so many years, it’s pretty natural that many players will have dropped hundreds of dollars on the game. That’s exactly what some revealed in a recent Reddit post, though the answers here may surprise you.

Pokemon Go trainer u/SilasBeit asked Reddit the question, “How much have you spent?” Then, continued, saying, “This has probably been asked before but I was wondering how much people have spent in total on Pokémon Go. I spend a few pounds every few months on ticketed events.”

The answers vary wildly, and some of the players are particularly shocked at the more outrageous results. One person says, “Free-to-play, fortunate to be situated in an active community”.

Meanwhile, another trainer reveals their spending habits, explaining, “I allow myself $10 a month on the game mostly for remote raid passes. I refuse to pay for research after I had an issue with the Kyogre timed research not registering and losing out on all the xl candy”.

Then, one avid user reveals their answer, saying, “Hundreds in game. Thousands if you include travel and accommodation to various Pokémon go events over the last 8 years.” When asked if the travel was for anything else other than the game, they say, “Nope. Pokémon Go was the primary reason for travel.”

Finally, another player breaks down their expenditure from the very beginning, as they say, “Close-to Day 1 player. Given how long Pokemon GO has been out and my year-long break in 2022… Three and a half years of hardcore whale gameplay (so until the pandemic)…probably close to $100/month back then.”

They continue, adding, “Reduced to more casual gameplay from 2020 to the time I quit in 2022.…and then back to casual gameplay in 2023 until now…”

“Probably a good $5000 or so total when adding up the past whale spending, GO Fests, and some community activities like Pokebuses and stuff. (there you go…first whale answer to this question)”

It’s a pretty massive amount, and one of the biggest in the thread, and some fans are happy to see some honesty, as one replies, “Just glad to see even one other post that isn’t “I would NEVER spend a dime” or “I get 15,000 tokens a year daily gym””

While it’s completely up to each individual player how to interact with the game, if you want to earn some in-game currency without spending too much money, you can also follow our guide to learn how to get coins in Pokemon Go next.