Pokémon Go Director Says Obtrusive Ads Will ‘Not Now, Not Ever’ Happen After Scopely Acquisition

Pokémon Go, alongside Niantic’s broader gaming division, was recently acquired by mobile gaming juggernaut Scopely. The $3.5 billion sale has players a little worried about what it means for the walk-around monster-catching game, and its director is trying to assuage those fears.

In a new interview with Polygon, Pokémon Go senior product director Michael Steranka discussed the sale to Scopely and what its plans are under the Monopoly Go! publisher. Steranka said he’s been looking online at some of the player theories. “What I would love to be able to get across is like, ‘Hey, it’s actually great,'” Steranka said. “It’s going to be a good thing for the game and for the communities out there.”

Concerns over Pokémon Go’s future run the gamut, from monetization and mechanics to influence from Saudi-based ownership. When asked about the potential for intrusive ads and playtime restrictions, Steranka said “definitively no, that is not happening in Pokémon Go — not now, not ever.”

“Again, Scopely really recognizes how unique this game is, and they’ve told us themselves that they would be foolish to try to change the recipe of what’s made this such a huge hit and a success,” Steranka insisted.

“So yeah, absolutely not. We will not be building into our games any type of obtrusive ads or anything like that. I just really want to reiterate Scopely as a company, the way that they operate is they give all of their teams the agency to make the decisions that’s right for their games. And that is not something that we feel would ever be right for Pokémon Go.”

Steranka went on to stress that the Go team does not sell player data to third parties, “full stop,” and that it only leverages location data for game operations, with any data needed stored on U.S.-based servers and following all “incredibly strict” regulatory best practicies as best it can.

Getting out and going outside will remain a core focus, too, even after leaving Niantic: “And I would be remiss if through this transaction, Pokémon Go became Pokémon Stay at Home,” Steranka said.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.