Niantic announces major Pokemon Go revenue milestone amid Go Fest woes
Following the annual Go Fest event, Niantic has announced a massive revenue milestone for Pokemon Go despite constant complaints from the community spanning several months.
Since its release in 2016, Pokemon Go has undoubtedly become a massive success. With over 600 million downloads worldwide, the free-to-play monster collector brings Pokemon into the real world.
However, frustration has been brewing in the Pokemon Go community for over a year as Niantic continues to make unpopular changes to the game. Pokemon Go saw a number of accessibility changes in 2020 in the face of the pandemic, and players rejoiced.
But over the past year, Niantic has been removing the features and producing content that’s leaving players disappointed. The most recent of which was Go Fest 2022 which some are claiming is the worst Pokemon Go event to date.
NianticPokemon Go surpasses $6 billion in revenue
According to statistics from Sensor Tower, a leading app store analytics firm, Pokemon Go has just surpassed $6 billion in revenue following the Pokemon Go Fest 2022 event.
Despite this massive milestone, Pokemon Go earned 45% less in the first quarter of 2022 than in 2021. Both quarters had massive in-game events, but it seems the 2021 Kanto Tour was a more favorable event than 2022’s Johto Tour.
It’s no surprise Niantic continues to produce these global Pokemon Go events after Go Fest 2020 was reported as a huge success. With millions of participants buying tickets for $14.99 a piece, they are a great source of revenue for Niantic.
However, the decline in revenue correlates with how dissatisfied players are with recent events. Go Fest 2022 has been bombarded with hate from the community, and many players have been requesting refunds.
NianticA number of trainers have compared last year’s Go Fest to the 2022 event pointing out it was more expensive and less accessible than in 2021. The Go Fest 2022 ticket cost three times as much as this year’s and players were incentivized to spend even more money on Incenses and Remote Raid Passes.
On a Reddit post made by Negadeluxe69, several users claimed Niantic had become too “greedy” making the tickets cost $14.99 with a fraction of the benefits of last year’s event.
Niantic has noted in the past that a number of the decisions they make are based on data as opposed to community feedback. One Reddit user commented, “keep in mind that Niantic is a data-based company and doesn’t care about the player base much.”
Another commented, “I have entirely stopped playing this game. It’s obvious they’re more interested in making money than building a fun game.”
And the data proves Niantic is still making money. $6 billion in less than six years is quite an accomplishment, but the first quarter of 2022 could be revealing a decline in players willing to put up with Niantic’s business ethics.