Pokémon Go is the augmented-reality mobile game released in 2016.
Developed by Niantic in collaboration with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo, Pokémon Go uses a smartphone’s location services and camera-related features to place Pokémon encounters in the real world. Players walk through physical locations, find Pokémon, collect items, and visit PokéStops and Gyms.
The game launched in July 2016 and quickly became a global phenomenon. It was free to download, with optional in-app purchases, and helped bring Pokémon to people who did not own a Nintendo console. Its design also encouraged outdoor exploration and local social interaction, although players were reminded to pay attention to their surroundings.
Pokémon Go is not the first Pokémon video game, trading-card product, or augmented-reality experiment, but it became the franchise’s most prominent mobile hit. Its 2016 release also produced a second major wave of worldwide Pokémon attention, two decades after the original Game Boy games.