- Large layoffs
Large layoffs
June 2023: cut about 230 jobs (about 25% of staff), closed its Los Angeles studio and cancelled two games.
Pokémon GO
Released 6 July 2016 Developer Niantic (2016 to 2025), then Scopely Explore
A free augmented-reality game in which you walk around the real world to find and catch Pokémon, visit PokéStops and Gyms, and join team Raid Battles or online trainer battles. It uses your phone's location all the time and is built around outdoor play, monthly events and a Pokédex that is never quite finished. It is popular with children, teens and adults.
Money health
CautionBuilt to push spending
Addictive design
High4 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
Freefree to download
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating
Scary scenes, Online interactivity
How it makes money
Caution: built to push spending
Pokémon GO is free to play. Money comes from PokéCoins (App Store AU: 100 for A$1.59 up to 5,200 for A$62.99) spent on items such as incense and lures, from a monthly GO Pass (the Deluxe track is US$7.99, or US$9.99 for the version that starts 10 ranks ahead, in local pricing) and from event tickets (A$2.99 to A$7.99 on the App Store AU). You can earn up to 50 PokéCoins a day by defending a Gym. In 2025 Scopely bought Niantic's games business, including Pokémon GO, for a reported US$3.5 billion.
How you pay
- Battle pass
GO Pass runs month by month: the free track is automatic, the Deluxe track costs US$7.99 (or the local equivalent) and Deluxe + 10 Ranks costs US$9.99 (pokemongo.com, GO Pass: October 2026).
- Free-to-play
Free to play. The App Store AU lists PokéCoin packs of 100 (A$1.59), 550 (A$7.99), 1,200 (A$14.99), 2,500 (A$30.99) and 5,200 (A$62.99); Google Play (AU) shows single items from A$1.59 to A$159.99.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- FOMO timers
Events come with paid tickets (listed at A$2.99 to A$7.99 on the App Store AU), and free GO Pass rewards expire shortly after each month ends.
- Game currency
PokéCoins are bought with real money (or earned, up to 50 a day through the Defender Bonus) and spent in the Shop on Premium Items; refunds go through the app store.
- Social nudges
Raid Battles are designed for teaming up with other Trainers, and a friend list (up to 550 friends) carries friendship levels and bonuses that end if you remove a friend.
minor part of the game - Never-ending
Monthly GO Pass seasons and a steady calendar of events mean there is no end point.
minor part of the game - Always online
The store description says an internet connection is required to play.
minor part of the game - Data harvest
The game depends on constant location data; the App Store notes it may use location even when the app isn't open, and Scopely's parent portal says it collects a child's device location. Niantic's help centre says it does not sell user information.
minor part of the game - Collect all
The store description centres on completing your Pokédex, evolving and trading Pokémon and raiding for Legendary Pokémon.
- Daily pressure
GO Pass tasks earn GO Points that are capped each day apart from occasional bonus days (pokemongo.com).
minor part of the game
What it costs
Free to start, then A$1.59–A$159.99 a purchase
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 PokéCoins (smallest listed pack) The App Store shows only a selection of the game's purchases. |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$1.59 | Oct 2026 |
| 5,200 PokéCoins (largest listed pack) Other listed packs: 550 for A$7.99, 1,200 for A$14.99, 2,500 for A$30.99. |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$62.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Event tickets Event and other tickets are listed from A$2.99 to A$7.99. |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$7.99 | Oct 2026 |
| GO Pass Deluxe (monthly) Priced in US dollars on pokemongo.com ("or the equivalent in your local currency"); the Australian price was not checked. Deluxe + 10 Ranks is US$9.99. |
Pokémon GO (in-app) | US$7.99/month | Oct 2026 |
| Largest single in-app item Top of the 'per item' range shown on the Google Play listing (A$1.59 to A$159.99); the item is not named. |
Google Play (AU) · Android | A$159.99 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
7/ 10
IGN
Described a light collection game that is unreliable technically but made memorable by the shared experience of playing in the real world alongside other people.
-
3.5/ 10
Destructoid
Reported that the launch version crashed so often that the core catching loop barely worked and that it explained almost none of its systems.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Content labels
- Violencemild
Fighting, weapons, injury and death, from cartoon bonks to realistic killing.
From ESRB and USK descriptors - Horror & fearmild
Scary scenes, jump scares, horror and supernatural themes.
From ACB descriptors
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- No chat
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- Needs an online account
There is no in-game chat. Friends are added with a 12-digit Trainer Code, QR code or synced contacts, but Raid Battles, Gym battles and the GO Battle League can put you in contact with other players you don't know, and the game uses your location. Scopely Explore says 'Trainers of all ages welcome', but a child needs parental consent, given through its Parent Portal (parents verify their own ID there). The Apple App Store (AU) lists the game as 9+. Niantic's help centre points to Apple and Google store controls for limiting in-app purchases.
Who makes it
The companies behind it, and their track record
No track-record badges yet.
Latest on the record
- Other
Scopely bought Niantic's games business, including Pokémon GO, for $3.5 billion
Scopely - Other
Saudi-owned Savvy Games Group agreed to buy Scopely for $4.9 billion
GamesIndustry.biz
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone and iPad Launched in Australia, New Zealand and the US on 6 July 2016. |
6 July 2016 | Store page |
| Android phones and tablets | 6 July 2016 | Store page |
Further reading
- Official website
- Scopely Explore Parent Portal (parental consent for children)
- Pokémon GO help: safety FAQs
- Pokémon GO help: purchases and PokéCoins
- GO Pass: October 2026 (how the pass works)
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: apps.apple.com, play.google.com, play.google.com, play.google.com, play.google.com, en.wikipedia.org, pokemongo.com, pokemongo.com, pokemongo.com, explore.scopely.com, explore.scopely.com, explore.scopely.com, niantic.helpshift.com, niantic.helpshift.com, niantic.helpshift.com, niantic.helpshift.com, www.metacritic.com, www.ign.com, www.destructoid.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.