John Hanke

John Hanke is the CEO and founder of Niantic, Inc., a company renowned for developing the groundbreaking augmented reality game Pokémon Go. Previously part of Google, Hanke played a key role in the development of Google Maps and Google Earth, leveraging this experience to create immersive gaming experiences that blend the virtual and real worlds. Under his leadership, Niantic gained global recognition with the release of Pokémon Go in 2016, which became a cultural phenomenon. Despite the success of Pokémon Go, subsequent titles have struggled to achieve the same level of popularity. Recently, Hanke has been in the news as Niantic is reportedly in negotiations to sell its gaming division to Scopely, underlining the shifting dynamics in the gaming industry.