Harsh headlines, failed festivals and, finally, friends: Pokémon Go, two years on

John Hanke, the boss of developer Niantic, is as passionate as ever about getting players outside. And his strategy is working, as seen in the success of this year's Poki(C)mon Go Fest in Chicago

Going to the gym meant something quite different in Chicago's Lincoln Park one weekend in July. The Poki(C)mon Go Fest, returning to the city after a disastrous event in 2017 that ended with developer Niantic refunding tickets, handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of in-game currency and settling a $1.5m (1.18m) lawsuit, once again packed the US city with virtual collectible creatures and real Poki(C)mon trainers. The 20,000 players who took part were on a five-stage quest to catch a mythical Poki(C)mon, Celebi, and the soggy 30C weather didn't put them off.

Yes, people are still playing Poki(C)mon Go. The mobile gaming phenomenon has quietly reached its highest player figures since it launched in 2016. In a moral panic not dissimilar to the one currently surrounding Fortnite, the summer of that year saw Poki(C)mon Go blamed for car crashes, trespassing incidents and even death. Two years on, though, the headlines have faded into memory and the augmented-reality monster-catching game has peacefully built a thriving community of passionate Poki(C)mon trainers.