What you need to know
- On December 11, 2019, Niantic, creators of Ingress, Pokémon Go, and Harry Potter Wizards Unite, released it's 2019 Social Impact Report.
- The report outlines the efforts of over 90,000 players to volunteer, raise funds, and donate towards community efforts.
- The report also outlines some of the health and wellness impact Niantic's games have had over the year.
Niantic, the creator of hit AR games Ingress, Pokémon Go, and Harry Potter Wizards Unite, released its 2019 Social Impact Report today. The report outlines much of the positive impact the company has had through its players, partners, and communities over the year. The report opened with the big promise of Niantic's mission statement:
At Niantic, people come first. We strive to build experiences that connect people in the real world and are continuously exploring new ways to support out passionate players and create platforms that give back to local communities.
But more than just a promise, Niantic has the receipts to back it up. Over the course of the year, over 90,000 Niantic players participated in local community and charity events through Niantic games. Their players volunteered over 40,000 hours around the world and held 522 Impact Events. These community efforts resulted in cleaning up 143 tons of trash, providing 1,033 meals to the hungry, and donating over 6,000 items to community organizations. Niantic raised over $100,000 for STEM education, and $28,000 for other community impact events. Over the year, Niantic has partnered with the Knight Foundation, UNICEF, the National Park Foundation, TechRow, and DonorsChoose.org, as well as city governments, and local charities.
Outside of volunteer and community work, the health benefits of Niantic's games are staggering. Players walked approximated 16.3 Billion KM while playing this year alone. Players also made 173 Million friend connections through the various Niantic properties. Niantics games have dramatic differences in the lives of many players, as well as the communities they live in.
If you would like to have a Niantic Social Impact Event in your community, you can reach out to social-impact@nianticlabs.com. For more information, see Niantic's Social Impact.
Casian Holly has been writing about gaming at iMore since 2019, but their real passion is Pokémon. From the games to the anime, cards and toys, they eat, sleep, and breathe all things Pokémon. You can check out their many Pokémon Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield guides and coverage here on iMore.
