On what date did Pokémon GO begin its initial release?

Pokémon GO began its initial release on July 6, 2016.

Niantic developed the location-based mobile game in collaboration with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. It uses GPS and augmented-reality features to place Pokémon encounters in the real world, encouraging players to explore, collect Pokémon, visit PokéStops, and battle at Gyms.

The initial rollout began in Australia and New Zealand, followed by the United States. It then expanded to additional countries and regions over time rather than launching everywhere simultaneously. This staged release is why accounts sometimes list different launch dates for Pokémon GO.

The game drew on Niantic’s earlier location-based title Ingress, while Pokémon’s collecting and battling systems supplied the recognizable franchise framework. Pokémon GO became one of the most widely played mobile games of 2016 and introduced many people to Pokémon through smartphones rather than dedicated Nintendo hardware.