At the 10th anniversary celebration of Pokémon GO at Times Square in New York City, there was not only an impressive billboard show, but also a hefty reward… but only for selected trainers. The community of Pokémon GO feels betrayed.
What did people receive at the event? Those who were lucky enough to be among the influencers attending the “Pokémon GO 10th Anniversary Celebration NYC Event: Mewtwo in Times Square” on July 9, 2026, received a stylish memento: a Hundo-Mewtwo, including Mega-Mewtwo Y and X, with a perfect rating of 100%.
Here you can see how these perfect Mewtwos were handed out like free drinks:
The invited content creators may be pleased. However, the rest of the Pokémon GO community is not so happy, as they feel: “The event in New York is the exact opposite of what made Pokémon GO a phenomenon in 2016” (Christophisis on Reddit).
Stylish Mewtwo for a fraction of the player base
What does the community say about this action? On Reddit, the statement of the upset trainer receives a lot of support. He explains that Pokémon GO became a global phenomenon because it was full of little moments experienced together by millions of ordinary players. However, the influencer event proves to be the exact opposite of that former identity:
The “ordinary people” who were not deemed worthy to attend this event – even if they were in close proximity – are the ones who made Pokémon GO what it was and is, and not a relatively small handful of people compared to the large player base. […] An event that could have been great otherwise, had everyone been allowed to participate.
Why does Mewtwo as a reward hurt particularly? What also annoys the players: So far, there has been no reward in the game in the form of guaranteed perfect stats, as there has been at the Times Square event. Niantic has never stated that they are unable to do this, but it does not sit well that only influencers benefit from this new goodie.
This is also evident on X.com:
All influencers should upload a video on their channel showing their ‘Hundo-Mewtwo’ to show their solidarity with the 99.9% of the Pokémon community who have to struggle to get a decent Mewtwo.
And @thatnerdinnit also summarizes the community’s reaction as follows: “A staged, meticulously styled event that is exclusively reserved for influencers and content creators is a pathetic way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pokémon GO. It was the enthusiasm of millions of ordinary fans that led this game to its peak, and this event did not do justice to that.”
What do you think about the Times Square event? Do you consider the action fair? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments!
Mega-Mewtwo X and Mega-Mewtwo Y can also be caught by the general public outside the influencer bubble and New York City; you just need a bit more luck to find a Hundo. How you can catch it, you can learn here: Pokémon GO Fest 2026 – All info about the global event with Mega-Mewtwo, Zeraora, and Shinies
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