Pokemon GO was one of the biggest games of 2016, and it looks like it's having yet another big year in 2020. Thanks to the changes made to try to keep the game relevant during the Coronavirus pandemic, Pokemon GO has pulled in an astounding $1 billion USD in 2020.

Pokemon GO hit a high note in the summer of 2016, when it seemed like everyone was out and about catching the Pocket Monsters. That year, the mobile game sensation pulled in an astounding $950 million in just the six months after its June release. But this year's numbers are beginning to rival even that Summer of GO; Niantic has regained some of the app's initial magic — and its money-making power.

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Niantic's Pokemon GO is one of the highest-grossing mobile titles of 2020 so far, raking in an astonishing $1 billion in the first 10 months. This is mostly due to the changes that Niantic has made to fit a changing mobile market. Niantic not only has expanded free gifts, coronavirus-safe gameplay, and added events, but also has taking consumer feedback very seriously, even going so far as to cancel PokeCoin rewards because of fan feedback. This combination of new gameplay and fan-conscientious game changes has been financially rewarding for the mobile game, even with the global uncertainty of 2020.

Pokemon GO Community Days

The addition of Mega Evolutions, remote raid passes and raid invites, updates to the egg pools in Pokemon GO, and even special events has rocketed Pokemon GO into long-term success, making it the third-highest-grossing mobile app of 2020, just after PUBG Mobile and Honor of Kings. This is the first time it has broken the $1 billion mark in a single year, and it is estimated that GO has made almost $4.3 billion USD over its 4.5-year lifespan.

While it's unlikely anything will top the Summer of 2016, they have taken the problems associated with COVID, made quick and user-friendly changes, and made 2020 Pokemon GO's most profitable year. This type of quick thinking and consumer-friendly changes based on feedback and a changing market is something that loads of other designers could learn from. Niantic's original Pokemon GO would most likely not have made as much due to the coronavirus, since it relied on people being able to gather, walk, and travel without worry for catching a pandemic-level virus.

As it continues into the rest of the record-breaking year, fans can look forward to a variety of Pokemon GO November 2020 events and a giant holiday celebration to round out this massively successful year.

Pokemon GO is available for most mobile devices.

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Source: DualShockers