When did Pokémon GO come out?

When did Pokémon GO come out? Niantic’s hit mobile game was first released in July of 2016. The official release date was July 6, which was when people could see players everywhere with their heads glued to their phones. It was a global phenomenon then and it’s still a popular game today.

It has defied odds by being a popular and highly played mobile app several years after its initial inception. Even when COVID-19 prevented players from playing as they normally would have, the community thrived with a few changes.  The game is still going strong today as a result. Mainline Pokémon games generally do not last this long as a sequel has usually come out by now. In fact, since Pokémon GO’s inception, two mainline games (Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet), a new throwback (Legends: Arceus) and a remake of an old game (Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) have come out.

When did Pokémon GO come out? How Niantic has defied the odds

Pokémon GO came out in 2016. There is no reason a mobile app should still be thriving almost seven full years later. Yet, Niantic has developed a devoted community with an expected nine million daily players. Most mainline games don’t even have that many players playing this long after the release. It’s no secret that the popularity has waned since 2016, but there are still plenty of players.

The secret is that they just keep adding things to do. Mega Evolutions have come out since the game was released and since only a few can be obtained at a time, there’s always something to look forward to. This is true of Legendary Pokémon, many of which haven’t yet been added to the game. This is true of all Pokémon, too. There’s still over 100 missing from GO, which means there’s always something coming later.

Niantic also hosts a lot of events that keep people playing. Community Days are always extremely popular, as are the weekly Spotlight Hours. Pokémon GO: Fest and the recent Johto and Hoenn tours have also been wildly successful. Everyone wants to play those events and they never want to miss a Community Day.

Shinies keep people playing

On that note, shinies are a major reason people still play seven years later. GO has the best shiny odds of any regular game. If you’re looking for an off-colored Pokémon, it’s best to hunt in this game rather than say, Scarlet and Violet. The average one-in-450 odds for Pokémon GO are much better than the normal one-in-4092 odds for Scarlet and Violet.

Fennekin Community Day was a big success and why many players still play

Community Days and Spotlight Hours usually represent chances to get good shinies, but finding them otherwise is something many players do every single day. It’s unlikely that anyone has every shiny available in the game, so there’s always something to hunt. Additionally, with new shinies coming out every now and then, there’s always something new to look for in the future.

Read Also: How to Get Pokeballs in Pokemon GO

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