While Pokémon GO bags the top spot in Google's most searched worldwide, there has been a significant drop in its popularity since Niantic released the augmented reality game last summer. In the U.S., Pokémon GO falls short to term searches Powerball, Prince and Hurricane Matthew. As 2017 will mark a new beginning in the gaming sphere which means more games are coming, will Niantic be able to rebound?

Pokémon GO's Popularity Plummets

It hasn't been a secret to all players that Pokémon GO's popularity went down months after it was rolled out on iOS, Android and other devices in July 2016. Not only did the game lost a chunk of its charm in PokéStops and gyms, but in Google search as well. According to Google's top searches for this year in the U.S., Pokémon GO rounds up in the fourth spot giving way for Powerball, Prince and Hurricane Matthew, respectively. Slither.io, an online multiplayer game, tailed Pokémon GO behind.

World's Top Search

Despite that fact, Niantic can still be proud to have Pokémon GO as Google's top search for 2016 worldwide. The game is followed by terms like iPhone 7, Donald Trump, Prince and Powerball. Technically speaking, however, the Pokémon GO hasn't maintained its popularity as the Googles showed a drastic 95 percent sink in stats since it was first released. Many reports already deemed this a major slump for the game, but an Otakukart article stressed out that Google search will refresh as 2017 opens so there could still be a good chance for the game sustain its spot.

Willi Niantic Be Able To Rebound In 2017?

To set the record straight, it is rare for a game to be so popular right off at the bat when it launches and maintain it for years. The direction has mostly, if not always, been downwards. Hence, it wouldn't be impossible to make players continue playing Pokémon GO if Niantic would release constant updates and events which could trigger more excitement from players. This way, Niantic should be able to rebound in 2017 and beyond.