Following the recent acquisition of Pokémon Go developer Niantic by Scopely, the team behind Monopoly Go, fans have voiced their concerns over potential changes, ranging from increased advertising to issues with personal data privacy. However, a recent interview with Michael Steranka, a product director at Pokémon Go, published on Polygon, aims to alleviate these worries.

During the interview, Steranka praised Scopely and expressed his confidence that both companies share a common vision. He specifically addressed concerns about intrusive ads, assuring fans that Scopely is unlikely to introduce such measures into Pokémon Go. This statement should reassure players who have been apprehensive about the game's future under new ownership.

For players concerned about privacy, Steranka made a clear statement: Niantic will not share or sell player data to third parties. He emphasized that the transition to working under Scopely would result in minimal changes to the Niantic team's operations, if any.

If it ain't broke...While it's understandable to anticipate some degree of corporate influence, I personally believe Scopely will not significantly alter the way Pokémon Go is run. The game has been, and continues to be, very successful. The bigger focus for Niantic seems to be on their new spin-off team, which is dedicated to exploring further applications of augmented reality (AR).

Steranka also highlighted the close involvement of The Pokémon Company in the decision-making process for Pokémon Go. This close partnership suggests that any actions or changes that The Pokémon Company would not endorse are unlikely to occur now or in the future.

If this news has reassured you and you're ready to dive back into Pokémon Go, be sure to check out our list of promo codes for some regularly updated free boosts that we've gathered.