Pokémon Go exceeded one billion downloads worldwide in 2019.
Niantic developed Pokémon Go with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The mobile game launched in 2016 and combines location-based play with augmented reality, allowing players to find Pokémon using a smartphone’s GPS and camera features.
The game quickly became one of the most successful mobile releases ever. It passed 500 million downloads during 2016, reached more than 800 million downloads by 2018, and exceeded one billion worldwide by February 2019. Its enormous launch also encouraged players to explore real-world locations and meet other players.
Downloads are not the same as monthly active users or copies sold. Pokémon Go is free to download and earns money through in-app purchases, so the one-billion figure measures installations rather than paid units. The milestone belongs to the game’s global history, not only to one country or platform.