Pokémon Go Director Discusses Scopely and Fan Concerns

The recent acquisition of Pokémon Go developer Niantic by Scopely, the creators of Monopoly Go, has sparked a wave of concern among fans, ranging from fears of increased ads to worries about data privacy. However, a recent interview with Michael Steranka, a product director at Pokémon Go, featured on Polygon, aims to alleviate these concerns.

In the interview, Steranka highlights the alignment between Niantic and Scopely, expressing confidence that the latter would not introduce intrusive advertisements into Pokémon Go. Addressing privacy concerns directly, Steranka firmly stated that Niantic would not share or sell player data to third parties. He concluded by emphasizing that the transition to working under Scopely would have minimal impact on Niantic's operations, if any.

While there might be some corporate influence, I personally believe Scopely will not heavily intervene in how Pokémon Go is managed. The game has been, and continues to be, highly successful. From a business perspective, the more significant development might be Niantic's new spin-off team, which is focusing on further exploring AR applications.

Steranka also stressed that the Pokémon Company remains deeply involved in the decision-making process for Pokémon Go. This close partnership means that any actions not aligned with the Pokémon Company's values would likely be off the table both now and in the future.

If these assurances have boosted your confidence in returning to Pokémon Go, don't forget to check out our regularly updated list of promo codes for some free in-game boosts.