Pokemon Go revenue hits $200 million

pokemon go

In its first month, the viral hit game Pokémon Go raked in $200 million in revenue, continuing on a historic pace for a smartphone app launch.

According to SensorTower, Pokémon Go quickly outpaced the two previous titles considered to have the best opening months on mobile: Supercell's Clash Royale and King's Candy Crush Soda Saga.

Both titles generated buzz through the popularity of its predecessors: Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga, respectively. During its first month, Clash Royale generated nearly $125 million in revenue, finds SensorTower. Meanwhile, Pokémon Go netted seven times more revenue than Candy Crush Soda Saga, which opened with roughly $25 million.

"This is not only a testament to Pokémon Go’s unparalleled popularity, but, when also viewed against Clash Royale’s first month, also speaks to how the measure of a hit game’s launch (at least from a revenue perspective) has changed in just two short years," said SensorTower's Randy Nelson.

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game where players capture "pocket monsters" called Pokémon using a GPS map on their smartphone and a camera. According to Apple, the game generated more downloads in its first week than any other app.

Last week, game developer Niantic urged players to remain patient after the company released an update stripping out key features, most notably a tracking system where players could find "Nearby" Pokemon. The developer was also criticized for failing to respond quickly to player complaints.

"We want you to know that we have been working crazy hours to keep the game running as we continue to launch globally," reads an excerpt from Niantic's statement, released last week.

The developer released an update Monday rolling out a revamped version of the tracker which shows "Sightings," and appears to only display Pokémon in the player's immediate location. However, it's only available to a limited number of users as part of a test. Other features added include bringing back the battery saver option and adding more warnings to prevent users from playing while driving.