How did a phone game released in July 2016 briefly double foot traffic to small businesses near landmarks, and why did the effect fade…

When Niantic launched an augmented-reality game on 6 July 2016, cafés and corner shops beside statues, churches and post office boxes suddenly filled with players. The surge was real, measurable, and short-lived — and the reason it collapsed sits inside the game's own map data.

By How It Works · Sep 1, 2026