Pokemon GO is Shutting Down in Russia and Belarus
Pokemon GO was a massive hit when it first launched in 2016, becoming a worldwide phenomenon that is still played to this day. In fact, Pokemon GO continues to rake in absurd revenue for developer Niantic and The Pokemon Company, remaining one of the most popular mobile apps in existence. There are Pokemon GO fans in countries all over the world, but those in Russia and Belarus are now unable to play the game.
Niantic has announced that, in an effort to show its support of Ukraine and contribute to the growing sanctions against Russia, its games are no longer available for download in Russia or Belarus. Niantic has also said that it will be suspending gameplay operations in Russia and Belarus for Pokemon GO and its other games indefinitely. Besides Pokemon GO, Niantic is also known for Ingress and Pikmin Bloom. It also had an augmented reality Harry Potter game called Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, but it was shut down at the end of January 2022.
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This means that Pokemon GO players in Russia and Belarus will be missing out on the game's current and upcoming events, like the ongoing Season of Alola that is adding Generation 7 Pokemon to the mix as well as the limited-time Festival of Colors that starts next week.
Niantic joins a growing list of video game companies who have suspended sales and operations in Russia. The idea behind these moves is that by restricting the entertainment and other products Russian people can access, it will potentially upset the masses and put pressure on the government to cease its invasion of Ukraine.
These efforts combined with the larger-scale economic sanctions against Russia has had a devastating effect on the country's economy. As a result of the
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