Pokémon Go earnings pass $2 billion as it introduces its first new Pokémon

Pokémon Go has just reached two big milestones. The mobile AR game has now earned $2 billion, according to Apptopia, a third-party provider of app data. The location-based game has also introduced a new Pokémon for the first time, the mythical Meltan.

Pokémon Go became a phenomenon during its launch in the summer of 2016. While it no longer dominates the mainstream news headlines as it did that summer, Niantic’s game still has lots of fans. In fact, Pokémon Go had its most players this past summer since that debut season. This is thanks to events that keep players engaged, including adding more Pokémon.

But Meltan is special. Usually, Pokémon Go adds creatures that have appeared in other games first. This is the first time the mobile title gets to introduce a new Pokémon. However, when players catch the Meltan, it turns into a Ditto, a Pokémon that can change its shape.

The franchise is next heading to the Switch with Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. The games are based on the original Red and Blue versions of the series that came out for the Game Boy back in 1996 in Japan (1998 in the U.S.). The Let’s Go games will have a simplified mechanic for catching Pokémon based on Pokémon Go. A video released on The Official Pokémon YouTube channel, which you can watch above, indicates that trading your Meltan-turned-Ditto to Pokémon Let’s Go could help you unlock the new creature.

The excitement of a new Pokémon could help drive Go’s revenues even further. According to Apptopia, it reached the $2 billion milestone in 811 days. That’s only behind Game of War: Fire Age (798 days) and Clash of Clans (768 days).