Pokemon Go players voice concerns over the potential addition of Google ads

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Google ad banners were datamined from a recent update

Pokemon Go
(Image credit: Niantic)

Pokemon Go might be introducing Google adverts, and players aren't happy.

Earlier this week, Pokemon Go datamining group PokeMiners (via NintendoLife) discovered that the new 0.227.0 update for Niantic's game includes placeholder information for Google ads. As you can see for yourself in the information below, the datamining group reveal the Google ads could take up anywhere between a small banner space to half the screen for players.

Taking a look at the replies to the original tweet from the Pokemon Go datamining group, the responses to the Google ads aren't pretty. One player writes that "if the ads pop up when I’m playing I QUIT," for example, while another writes that although they'd even praised Niantic's monetization methods in the past, they'd be "really disappointed in this."

It's not hard to see why Pokemon Go players would be incredibly disheartened at the prospect of adverts in the game. The thought of adverts taking over half the screen while you're attempting to play a game is a little off-putting, and as plenty of players rightly point out in the replies to the tweet above, it's not as if Niantic is struggling to earn money from Pokemon Go.

Still, it's worth bearing in mind that Google ads aren't guaranteed to arrive in Pokemon Go anytime soon, if at all. The evidence uncovered by the Pokemon Go datamining group are merely placeholder images, so it's entirely possible that Niantic could scrap the idea, or change it entirely between now and launch.

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Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.