Five years ago, Niantic set out on a path to change the way people interact with the world around them by creating the world’s first “real world gaming” platform. By exploiting the capabilities of smartphones and location technology and through building a unique massively scalable server and global location dataset, we have helped users all around the world have fun, socialize, and get more fit as they play and explore. Ingress, our first “real world” game, has given millions of players an entirely new way to see the world around them.

Those players have coalesced into an amazing global community where players compete, collaborate, and celebrate in more than 200 countries around the world. Some have literally traveled to the ends of the earth in their quest to help their faction control the world. It’s the passion of this community that inspires us to come to work every day to create new experiences.

Which brings us to our next adventure together. We are pleased to announce that Pokémon GO, the next evolution of Real World Gaming, is now officially available on both the App Store and on Google Play Store in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. It will be available in other countries around the world in the days ahead.

We’re excited that Pokémon fans and gamers can now start exploring their very own neighborhoods and cities to capture Pokémon using the Pokémon GO app. Players can discover and catch more than 100 Pokémon from the original Red and Blue games, take Pokémon into battle against other Pokémon at Gyms, uncover items including a variety of types of Poké Balls and eggs at PokéStops, hatch and train new Pokémon, and more.

We are also super excited about the Pokémon GO Plus wearable device which will enable players to capture Pokémon and harvest items from PokéStops without ever taking their phone out of their pocket or bag. Players can explore the world and play the game while keeping their attention on the people and sites around them. A walk in the park just became more fun. :-)

We can’t wait to hear about the adventures around the world that Pokémon trainers undertake.

It’s GO time!

John Hanke and the Niantic team