In July 2023, Niantic's Pokémon GO celebrated its seventh anniversary, prompting Data.ai to conduct an analysis of the game's performance since its inception.

The game has garnered over 678 million global downloads, securing its position as the 18th most downloaded mobile game of all time across both Google Play and iOS platforms. Pokémon GO continues to maintain its global success, consistently appearing in the top 20 monthly active user (MAU) charts worldwide, currently occupying the 16th position.

The USA has been a major stronghold for the game's popularity, accounting for a significant 164 million downloads, nearly a quarter of the total. This feat ranks Pokémon GO as the fourth most downloaded mobile game in US history. Only Subway Surfers, Candy Crush Saga, and Roblox have surpassed it in downloads within the country. The game has sustained its third-place standing in terms of MAU since 2019.

The UK has also witnessed substantial success with 19 million downloads, positioning it as the 11th most downloaded game of all time in the country. It has consistently ranked among the top ten games by MAU since its debut and has grown even more popular since the onset of the pandemic, retaining the third-place position since 2022.

However, users worldwide have gradually spent less time immersed in the game, particularly on Android devices. In 2019, global users dedicated an average of 13 hours and 30 minutes per month to Pokémon GO, but this figure decreased by 52% to six hours and 27 minutes in the first half of 2023.

Similar trends were noted in specific territories. In the UK, the average monthly playtime dropped by 37%, from eight hours and 31 minutes in 2019 to five hours and 20 minutes in H1 2023. Similarly, in the USA, it decreased by 41%, from eight hours and 55 minutes to five hours and 17 minutes over the same period.

Data.ai attributes this decline partially to shifting preferences during the pandemic, with simulation games like Roblox capturing a larger share of user attention. Nevertheless, engagement remains robust, with the game ranking fourth in terms of average playtime among the top ten games by MAU in the first half of 2023.

The game's success in the UK led to the introduction of the Pokémon GO Fest event in the country for the first time. The event took place in London, where over 10 million Pokémon were captured by nearly 50,000 Trainers at Brockwell Park. Philip Marz, Pokémon GO's Director of Regional Marketing for EMEA, highlighted the event's success and the enduring appeal of real-life gaming events. Additionally, the GO Fest series was set to conclude in New York in a few weeks.

Source: Lewis Rees, Staff Writer at PocketGamer