Niantic originally developed Pokémon GO before its game division was acquired by Scopely.
Niantic created Pokémon GO in partnership with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The game built on Niantic’s earlier location-based title Ingress, using real-world maps and points of interest to support exploration, PokéStops, and Gyms.
The idea began with Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge, a 2014 April Fools’ project created by Google engineer Tatsuo Nomura. Niantic founder John Hanke saw the concept and helped turn it into a full Pokémon game. The resulting app launched in 2016 for iOS and Android devices.
Game Freak is sometimes given the answer because it developed the main Pokémon role-playing games, but it did not originally develop Pokémon GO. Creatures and The Pokémon Company were partners in the franchise collaboration. Niantic remained associated with the game until Scopely acquired Niantic’s gaming division in 2025.