Jack Walters
Mon, July 6, 2026 at 2:02 PM UTC
On this day in 2016, Nintendo changed gaming forever with the release of ‘Pokemon Go’. The game was an immediate success, revolutionizing the franchise and rebranding it for a whole new generation
After sticking to a similar structure for the majority of the main franchise Pokémon games, Nintendo opted for something totally different and unfamiliar with Pokémon Go. The mobile app uses augmented reality to bring the fantastical creatures into the real world, forcing users to step outside and hunt Pokémon in their neighborhoods
Crucially, the game was also free to play—meaning anybody could download the app and discover all the invisible creatures hiding in the AR world around them. It was a kind of gameplay experience that had never been achieved on this level before, and Pokémon Go immediately became a cultural phenomenon
Although critics were originally harsh on the game’s simple mechanics and lack of progression, general audiences quickly fell in love with it. Not only was it hugely popular with existing Pokémon fans who became obsessed with collecting all their favorite creatures, but the free-to-play model introduced it to a whole new audience who’d never even considered buying gaming consoles
Pokemon Go quickly became the best-selling mobile game of 2016, amassing over 500 million downloads throughout its lifetime. Its success marked a defining moment in video game history, proving that games were no longer just something to be played in your bedroom or from the comfort of your own couch
Incredibly, the game’s popularity didn’t seem to fade away over the following years as most would have expected. By 2018, the game had over 147 million active monthly users, with several governments across the world raising concerns about public disturbance by players not looking where they’re going or entering restricted areas to find Pokémon in the game
Very few games have replicated the global success of Pokémon Go, which remains one of the most influential video games of all time. The app completely changed the way augmented reality was viewed in the industry, transforming it from a cheap novelty into an entire formula around which a game could be created. It was exactly the boost that the Pokemon franchise needed to stay relevant in the modern world, and proved once again that nobody can make popular games quite like Nintendo
This story was originally published byMen’s Journalon Jul 6, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Men’s Journal as aPreferred
