Nintendo & Niantic have jointly announced that Pokemon GO has exceeded five hundred million downloads worldwide across the Android & iOS platforms since the game’s worldwide earlier this summer.

Describing the game this is what the CEO of the Pokemon Company had to say:

“The team at Niantic developed a unique experience that merges their expertise in cutting-edge location-based technologies with the beloved characters and classic gameplay of Pokémon. This ideal match of the right brand and the right technology has resonated with hundreds of millions of existing and new fans around the world.”

In the game players take on the role of Pokemon Trainers, assembling their own dream team of Pocket Monsters and take them into the real world. Blending elements of reality through augmented reality Pokemon GO uses the player’s rear facing cameras to insert the monsters into the real world. GPS is used to encourage trainers to venture out into their city or town to discover what wild monsters, poke stops and gyms await them.

Pokemon Go for Apple Watch as captured by The Verge

500 million downloads isn’t the only major milestone that Pokemon GO  has passed – the game also set the record for the most download during its initial release in the United States.  Pokemon GO also has the distinction of sitting at the top of the top grossing chart on the Canadian App Store as well.

Pokemom GO will also come to the Apple Watch later this year with the public release of WatchOS 3. The companion Watch App will let trainers know when a wild Pokemon has appeared, if they are near a PokeStop and it will also allow players to hatch eggs while walking.,