Pokémon GO’s Future Will Focus on Community, Says Scopely Exec

Pokémon GO launched 10 years ago. In 2016, it was such a phenomenon that it broke beyond the Pokémon fandom and the gaming space overall, becoming a way for people to connect with one another, and it was so popular that Hillary Clinton famously urged people to “Pokémon GO to the polls” during the US presidential race that year.

A decade later, the game is still going strong. There was some controversy when it was revealed that data collected from Pokémon GO players would be used to help robots make deliveries. Also, Niantic was acquired by Scopely in 2025. Now, a Scopely executive is commenting on how the game can continue to grow.

Scopely Executive Says Exploration Is the Endless Goal of Pokémon GO

Michael Steranka, Scopely’s Vice President of Product, shared his primary focus for the mobile game’s future. He expressed a strong interest in reviewing the gym system, noting that it has not been updated in several years. Most importantly, he aims to make the game’s social experience extend beyond the phone and to continue cultivating community.

“I think for even the most diehard minmaxxers in Pokémon, they deep down also really love and appreciate the out-of-game experience that they get with Pokémon GO,” he said (via Video Game Chronicle). “So for us, what we’ve always been talking about, now even more than before, is what is that out-of-phone experience that we’re creating for people?

“It’s easier said than done, right? Because what does that even mean? We only have control of what’s happening on your phone. But we also have the ability to help people discover things around them, and that is endless; that’s not filling your Pokedex. Exploring the world is an endless objective.”

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