Pokémon GO earnings are now on the decline. Last month, the world’s most famous AR game had its worst month in terms of revenue since February 2018.
- According to AppMagic data (via Mobilegamer.biz), Pokémon GO was 12th highest-grossing mobile game of April with in-app revenue of $34.7 million.
- Player spending in Niantic’s biggest game has been declining since February 2023, when it reached $58 million. The title’s revenue fell 26% to $42.8 in March and then another 19% last month. Overall, revenue has decreased by roughly 40% over the past two months.
- In the past 30 days, the US remained the number one country by player spending, accounting for 37% of the game’s revenue. It was followed by Japan (36.6%), Germany (3%), Canada (2.4%), and the UK (2.3%).
- $34.7 million is also the lowest revenue for Pokémon GO since $33.7 million in February 2018, over five years ago.
Pokémon GO lifetime in-app revenue, according to AppMagic
One of the reasons for such a sharp decline might be the changes to the game’s Remote Raids system, which Niantic first introduced during the pandemic. It allows players to catch Pokémon without going outside.
Last month, the company raised the price for Remote Raid passes and limited the number of Raids each player can participate in to five per day. “Since their introduction in 2020, Remote Raid Passes have come to dominate the experience of playing Pokémon GO in a way we never intended,” Niantic explained, adding that “this change is necessary for the long-term health of the game” and is a “necessary step toward our goal of preserving and improving the unique experience of playing Pokémon GO.”
Despite the rough period, Pokémon GO remains one of the highest-grossing mobile games ever. Last June, its lifetime revenue surpassed $6 billion globally. The only four other titles to cross this mark are Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, Candy Crush Saga, and Clash of Clans.
Back to AppMagic’s top grossing mobile games of April: Honor of Kings took first place with $102.9 million in revenue. It was followed by Genshin Impact ($87.8 million), Candy Crush Saga ($84.3 million), PUBG Mobile ($77.8 million), and Roblox ($64.9 million).