The rumor mill is doing its thing once again and milling rumors. This time Pokemon Go is the focus of the ever-changing and usually baseless whispers. Niantic took its company’s value from a paltry $150 million to an earth-shattering $9 billion with the release of the on-the-go Pokemon game. Of course, the numbers have dwindled over the years, but the game still has an avid player base and continues to bring out new and exciting content. This makes the rumor that Pokemon Go is shutting down a rather farfetched one, but one that needs answering nonetheless.
Screenshot via Niantic
Is Pokemon Go shutting down?
By all accounts, no. Niantic has given no indication that the game has any intention of being taken down or phased out. On the contrary, it is still wildly successful and continues to rake in both the dollars and the players. Just taking a quick look through the Niantic Pokemon Go Twitter seems to hint that they are only going from strength to strength.
The latest event to hit everyone’s phones is the Shadow Raids. Team Rocket is wreaking havoc again across the world as they raid gyms and introduce shadow Pokemon to the game. As a result, new Pokemon and new challenges are popping up across all your local gyms. This only furthers the game’s scope, bringing in more players and expenditure from the team, far from shutting down Pokemon Go.
? Alert! ? Alert! ? Team GO Rocket is back, and they’re bringing #ShadowRaids to Pokémon GO!
Brief yourself on what we’ve learned about Shadow Raid Bosses, Shadow Shards, and Purified Gems here: https://t.co/kIDuOfgrjR pic.twitter.com/6MVgvKCnOh
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) May 18, 2023
Season 10: Rising Heros has also been announced. The new season brings several changes and challenges. The most recent Special Research is the one I feel will get the players flocking back. By jumping through the hoops set by Niantic, it becomes possible to earn yourself a Master Ball, the best ball in the game. This rarely-seen item allows players to catch any Pokemon they throw it at and catch it without fail. I don’t think you can release something like that and then just shut Pokemon Go down; that wouldn’t be fair.
