Niantic announces partnership with Nintendo on new augmented reality ‘Pikmin’ title

Nearly five years after the launch of Pokémon GO, Niantic announced Monday they are partnering with Nintendo to co-develop a new title based on the company’s Pikmin franchise.

Niantic says the app is being developed in their Tokyo office and will launch later this year.

“The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful,” a press release from Niantic reads. The company notably specifies that the title will make use of their augmented reality platform to integrate the real world into the app’s experiences.

How Niantic evolved Pokémon GO for the year no one could go anywhere

Pokémon GO has fallen out of headlines but has continued to deliver massive sums to the San Francisco gaming company, eclipsing $1 billion in revenue in 2020. In recent years, Nintendo has sought to build out their presence on mobile gaming platforms with a number of titles playing on some of their biggest franchises, but none of them have reached Pokémon GO’s level of success.

Niantic has raised nearly $500 million in capital, most recently raising at a $4 billion valuation.

🛎 1/2 We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Nintendo to develop mobile titles built on @NianticLabs real-world AR platform, bringing Nintendo’s beloved characters to life in new ways. We’re delighted to be their exclusive partner for AR apps. https://t.co/Tzz8npCANj pic.twitter.com/R2AvE00nuN

— Megan Quinn (@msquinn) March 23, 2021