Pokemon GO manages $42m revenue in June 2023, still short of 2022 monthly average

Pokemon GO has been met with some tumult in 2023 where its revenue is concerned. Although Niantic's mobile title is still making a great amount of income, numbers appear to be down month-to-month from its 2022 average. One Redditor appeared to confirm this using the Sensor Tower app, showing that the Pokemon title accrued $42 million in income for June 2023.

While $42 million is certainly nothing to scoff at in the mobile gaming space, the total is roughly 70% of Pokemon GO's monthly revenue during most of 2022 (around $58 million). Plenty of past and present players chimed in with their theories as to why this was the case.

June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) by u/Teban54 in TheSilphRoad

All things considered, there are likely multiple factors contributing to the revenue drop for Pokemon GO in 2023.

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Are the recent Pokemon GO changes by Niantic taking their toll?

Any discussion surrounding Pokemon GO's apparent drop in earnings in 2023 would be remiss without bringing up the game's recent controversies. Niantic has instituted changes over the course of several months dating back to late 2022, many of which were poorly received by the player community.

The raised Remote Raid Pass prices and reduced usage was the most notable issue, but players have also complained about the various event tickets being pushed by the developers. In some respects, this is the only way players can get certain creatures in Pokemon GO, with the Keldeo "paywall" in late 2022 being just one notable example.

Comment by u/AptJaxer from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Comment by u/octocode from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Comment by u/oceano7 from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Although the Sensor Tower statistics may not be entirely accurate (it doesn't track purchases made outside the game by players or sponsorship revenue for Niantic), there does appear to be some correlation between Niantic's recent decisions and their revenue drop.

It's no secret that Pokemon GO has certainly made angling toward in-app purchases a core part of the game. Players are often bombarded with notifications regarding the in-game shop and new items that can be purchased for real-world currency instead of Pokecoins.

Comment by u/Teban54 from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Comment by u/kingladyslayer from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

A litany of bugs has also dissatisfied players in Pokemon GO as well. Shiny rates were recently inadvertently reduced for the Sinnoh Lake Guardians, and players thought a recent increase in spawn distance was intentional before Niantic fixed it. The developers attempted to make it up to players, but many were left wanting.

The shortened nature of some events like Community Days has also been a point for contention, particularly among Pokemon GO players who haven't been able to change their plans or obligations just to participate during a "day" event that is in reality only a few hours long.

Comment by u/Wobbar from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Comment by u/Fullertonjr from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Comment by u/vegeta3 from discussion June 2023 estimated revenue from in-app purchases: $42m (up from May, but still 70% of 2022 monthly average) in TheSilphRoad

Despite these changes, Pokemon GO still sports nearly 80 million active players in July 2023, according to ActivePlayer. This signals that the mass exodus or boycott that many fans had called for certainly hasn't moved the needle much. However, it's possible that the current players simply aren't finding the in-game purchases as worthy of their prices.

It's also important to note that Niantic's mobile title is well past its peak of 232 million active players when it hit the scene in 2016. Few mobile titles have a particularly long shelf life, even those that took the world by storm like Pokemon GO.

It's possible that Niantic, knowing that the game was no longer at its apex of player participation, is attempting to optimize revenue for the existing fanbase. Since many fans have moved on to other games, the developers may be bearing down on in-game purchases as the game approaches its seventh anniversary.

Given that so many other Pokemon games exist, including in the mobile space, trainers may have moved to what they consider greener pastures. Although it's only reasonable to make adjustments, the pushback to Niantic's decisions has been quite vocal, even if by a minority of the millions comprising the player base.

Whatever the case may be, the dip in in-game purchase revenue may just be indicative of a loss of interest if nothing else. The hardcore fanbase still exists, but many players may have aired for a casual, microtransaction-free experience, Others have likely just lost interest and have opted to play other games.

No mobile game is immortal, but Niantic certainly has a few things it could do to help reinvigorate the fanbase's passion for its landmark mobile title. It remains to be seen what the developers have planned in the last two quarters of 2023, but there's little doubt that they want to maximize their profits as much as possible.