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Pokemon GO launches in South Korea and shoots straight to second in iOS top grossing chart

Jumps to 2nd place on top grossing charts

Pokemon GO launches in South Korea and shoots straight to second in iOS top grossing chart

Pokemon GO has finally launched in South Korea six months after first launching in the United States.

The game uses Google Maps to power its location-based features and create pokemon gyms and pokestops.

The key service is restricted in South Korea however due to national security concerns, which explains the delay in the South Korea launch.

Niantic is being cagey on explaining how it bypassed the restrictions. Art Director Dennis Hwang told Reuters simply that the company had " used various publicly accessible data sources".

Strong start

Pokemon GO has already seen a strong launch in the region. According to data from App Annie, It ended its first day of launch at second place on the iOS overall top grossing ranks and has remained there for its second day of launch.

It has faced much more difficulty on Android. By its second day it has peaked at 161 on the overall top grossing charts.

However, it is being blocked from the top spot by Netmarble's Lineage 2: Revolution. The game went straight to the top of the grossing ranks and has stayed there since launch.

That title is said to have generated $176 million in revenue in its first month of release, despite launching only in South Korea. It surpassed $100 million in just 18 days, two days faster than Pokemon GO.


Editor

Ric is the Editor of PocketGamer.biz, having started out as a Staff Writer on the site back in 2015. He received an honourable mention in both the MCV and Develop 30 Under 30 lists in 2016 and refuses to let anyone forget about it.