Pokémon Go takes $5.8m in a single day after failed Fest event

Despite the problems with Pokémon Go Fest, the game still enjoyed a profitable weekend and even recorded its best day's revenue in months.

Market analyst Sensor Tower reports that iOS and Android players spent a combined $5.8m on Sunday, July 23rd, VentureBeat reports. It marks Pokémon Go's best single-day performance since October, outstripping the $5.7m taken on October 28th, 2016.

In this instance, the revenue was largely driven by the arrival of Articuno and Lugia, the first of the game's long-awaited legendary Pokémon.

Developer Niantic had hosted its first live event, Pokémon Go Fest, in Chicago to celebrate these new additions to the game. However, technical issues rendered the game unplayable for the event's 20,000 attendees and while Niantic has refunded tickets and offered in-game compensation, some players are suing the company in order to recoup travel and accommodation costs.

Last month, Pokémon Go passed the $1.2bn mark in lifetime revenues. Niantic continues to retain users with regular in-game events and a newly-overhauled gym system, although the active userbase is considerably lower than its post-launch peak.

UPDATE: European Pokémon Go events that were scheduled for the month ahead have been delayed, Eurogamer reports.

Niantic was originally due to hold Safari Zone meetups in Copenhagen and Prague on August 5th, and Stockholm and Amsterdam on August 12th. These will now be hosted on a “date later in the autumn.”

This is no doubt while Niantic shores up its tech to avoid a repetition of Chicago's failed Pokémon Go Fest.

Interestingly a huge event in Yokohama, Japan on August 14th will go ahead as scheduled, as will September meetups in Paris, Barcelona and Oberhausen.