Beyond the Screen: Brisbane's Pokémon GO Veterans Forge Friendships and Transform Lives

It is a Wednesday evening at Brisbane's South Bank, and a dedicated group of Pokémon GO enthusiasts is gathering. While the crowd is modest compared to the thousands of players who packed the green spaces along the Brisbane River during the game's massive launch in 2016, this core group of fans has never walked away. Ten years after the global phenomenon took the world by storm, these committed players say the game has transformed their lives in deeply positive ways.

Health and Passion on the Trail

Owen Beck was only 13 years old when his cousin introduced him to the game. "I downloaded it, started playing it, got hooked, never stopped playing," he recalls. Today, Beck is a Pokémon GO Community Ambassador—one of 27 in Queensland—who coordinates the weekly South Bank gatherings and monthly community days. "I attribute a lot of positive stuff in my life to Pokémon GO," he says, adding, "It's probably my biggest passion."

For Beck, the game has also been a tool for managing a chronic migraine condition that previously left him confined to his bed for days or weeks at a time. The game's mechanics, which require players to walk to level up their creatures and hatch virtual eggs, provided a powerful incentive to get moving. "I walk like 15 to 20 kilometres a day," he says.

Since 2016, Beck has logged over 32,500 kilometres—the equivalent of walking between Brisbane and Perth four times over. Along the way, he has caught more than 500,000 Pokémon. Beyond the physical health benefits, the game also led Beck to his partner. "We met playing the game and obviously it's really nice to play the game together," he says. "It's very convenient for your partner to be someone that's also as into the game as you. It's been perfect, I really love that."

A Community Built on Friendship

The weekly Wednesday night meet-ups serve as a hub for cooperative gameplay, particularly for multiplayer raids that offer opportunities to capture rare Pokémon. For many, it is also a vital social outlet. Karen, 59, who attended a recent meet-up with her 23-year-old niece Jo, has been playing since the game launched in 2016. "I had a friend who I worked with and we used to play for a while and it was just exercise and it was fun, but somewhere along the way I got a little obsessed," she shares. Having recently joined some of the local playing groups, she notes, "They're really kind and they're fun, and the people in them are interesting to talk to."

Another original player, 34-year-old Andrew Swan, fondly remembers the early frenzy of the game's release. "I've seen a lot of jokes about it but it just literally felt like a time of peace. We were all there to have fun," he says. Swan attributes his continued play to habit and the deep personal connections he has forged. "One of my closest friends I met playing here at South Bank playing Pokémon GO … and I literally went to her wedding last year in Bali." He adds, "You keep playing because of those friendships."

Now a parent, Swan has scaled back his playing time but still participates in the South Bank meet-ups when he can. He was one of roughly 115,000 people who recently travelled to Tokyo to take part in the annual international event Pokémon GO Fest.

Family Ties and Shared Adventures

In Brisbane's eastern suburbs, Jessie Callaghan and her husband have also maintained their daily playing habits since 2016. She recalls the early days of late-night chases with amusement: "We went to Redcliffe one night and there were all these people playing Pokémon and someone just pulls up and screams out 'there's a Lapras down at Sandgate on the jetty!' and there were like ten cars that just sped off down the road," she says. "It was a bit crazy."

The couple even set up an account for their eldest son when he was born, anticipating the day he would be old enough to play. Through local raid groups, their son made a lifelong best friend with the toddler of another playing couple. Callaghan says she continues to be surprised by how many people in her immediate circle still play. "We found out a few years ago that our neighbours actually play, and their daughter and there's a lady that lives three doors up that plays as well," she says. When asked what has kept her engaged for a decade, Callaghan's answer is simple: "It's just a lot of fun."