Skip to main content

'Pokémon Go' players have caught a staggering number of Pocket Monsters since July

200,000 trips around the Earth!
Pokémon Go might no longer be the pervasive, all-encompassing obsession that it was for so many of us over the summer, but Niantic’s game has managed to accumulate some incredibly impressive statistics since its July release. In just five months, the game’s community has managed to capture 88 billion Pokémon: That’s more than 12 for every person on Earth.

Niantic announced the impressive feat on its Pokémon Go Live site, adding that the community has also collectively walked “more than 8.7 billion kilometers,” which is long enough to go around the Earth more than 200,000 times. This is up dramatically from September, when the game’s players had accumulated about 4.6 billion collective kilometers walked.

If you’ve stopped playing Pokémon Go — perhaps in favor of Nintendo’s new Super Mario Run game — now might be the best time ever to jump back in. Monsters from second-generation games like Gold and Silver have begun showing up, though they seem to be available in very limited quantities so far. Pichu, Togepi, and Igglybuff are among those spotted hatching from the eggs you can receive from Pokéstops.

To celebrate the holidays, you can now catch a Santa-hat-wearing Pikachu. Don’t expect the Christmas rat to be around forever, though  — you’ll only be able to catch it until December 29, at which point we assume they’ll switch it out with a New Year’s Eevee.

Pokémon Go certainly has more work to be done before it will reach its full potential. Back in August, Niantic CEO John Hanke heavily implied that trainer vs. trainer battles would be implemented into the game, as well as the ability to trade Pokémon with other players. Unless people plan to take a trip around the entire planet to capture region-specific monsters, this seems to be the only way for a trainer to have a complete collection. Right now, however, we can’t catch ’em all.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Pokémon No Day: Why fans are boycotting Pokémon Go today
how to get coins in pokemon go style

Pokémon Go fans are boycotting the popular mobile video game today with a protest dubbed Pokémon No Day. The boycott, which has gained traction on Twitter, is intended to speak out against Niantic rolling back the game's COVID-19 friendly updates.

As the world fell into a lockdown in 2020, Pokémon Go developer Niantic had to act fast. Pokémon Go used to require that players go outside and walk around to catch some Pokémon. However, with COVID-19 spreading, doing so became dangerous. To keep players playing, Niantic opted to make it possible to play Pokemon Go from home. However, the developer is now rolling back those changes, even as a new Delta variant of the virus spreads. Understandably, fans are not happy and are taking today to boycott the game.

Read more
Pokémon Go gets a special New Pokémon Snap event featuring a shiny Smeargle
Pokemon Go

Pokémon Go is getting a special event to celebrate the release of New Pokémon Snap. Players will be able to grab some photography-themed goodies and have a chance to catch a shiny Smeargle.

New Pokémon Snap, a sequel to a 1999 Nintendo 64 photography game, comes to Nintendo Switch at the end of the month. Pokémon Go's special event lines up with the game's release window. It'll begin one day before the Switch game launches on Thursday, April 29, and end on Sunday, May 2.

Read more
Pokémon: Let’s Go beginner’s guide
pokemon lets go beginners guide let s

Choosing between Eevee and Pikachu can be hard, but deciding to play Pokémon: Let's Go is easy. The game brings you back to Kanto, where the first three Pokémon games began. The setting will be familiar to anyone who played Pokémon Yellow, and the catching sequence will be familiar to fans of Pokémon GO.

Pokémon: Let's Go brings together the mainline game and the mobile, creating its own identity somewhere in the middle. The game wants you to pay attention by providing an adorable setting for different catch sequences, leveling up animations, and in general making your way around Kanto. For trainers just starting their adventure, we have a few tips and tricks to help you become the Pokémon League Champion.

Read more