Which three countries received Pokémon GO’s initial July 6, 2016 launch?

Pokémon GO initially launched on July 6, 2016, in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

The augmented-reality mobile game was developed and published by Niantic in partnership with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. It used GPS and a phone’s camera-related features to place Pokémon in real-world locations for players to find and catch.

The launch was staged rather than worldwide on one date. Germany followed on July 13, the United Kingdom on July 14, and Japan on July 22. The staggered rollout helped manage demand and server capacity as the game rapidly became a global phenomenon.

Some accounts describe the initial release as a worldwide launch because the game spread internationally within weeks. However, the first official launch countries were specifically Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Pokémon GO began with approximately 150 Pokémon species available.