{"id":609940,"date":"2026-07-29T12:22:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T12:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/609940\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T12:22:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T12:22:18","slug":"come-with-us-to-the-pokemon-go-times-square-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/609940\/","title":{"rendered":"Come with Us to the Pok\u00e9mon\u00a0GO Times Square Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

The global Pok\u00e9mon GO phenomenon began ten years ago with an iconic trailer. The opening line, \u201cimagine Pok\u00e9mon in the real world,\u201d was the vision the game was built around, setting the stage for what the team has worked to deliver to Trainers for the last decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe began to bring [the game] closer and closer to the vision that was laid out in the trailer.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Ed Wu, President of Games at Scopely <\/p>\n

Long-time Trainers have fond memories of the first few weeks after Pok\u00e9mon GO\u2019s release in July 2016: the thrill of adventuring into the world with friends, seeing what new discoveries and new Pok\u00e9mon the day would bring. They remember the sense of community that came with joining throngs of people in their public park or local mall and running with the crowd to snag an elusive Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n

Since then, the game has expanded exponentially, supporting more than 800 million players, encouraging greater exploration and connection, and bringing incredible live events to Trainers across the globe. The team has delivered on the promises made in the original launch trailer, introducing many ways to trade, battle, and connect.<\/p>\n

But one of the most memorable moments from that original trailer had yet to be brought into the real world, so to celebrate this 10-year milestone and all the fans that made it possible, the Pok\u00e9mon GO team decided to go all out.<\/p>\n

Before the Big Event <\/p>\n

In the early hours of July 8, 2026, there were reports that Mewtwo vanished from its container at Pok\u00e9mon Center Shibuya<\/a> and the related in-game Pok\u00e9Stop. Speculation started to brew. Where did it go? Where might it pop up?<\/p>\n

A group of Trainers had received an invite to a special in-person event in Manhattan but had yet to learn any of the specifics. But soon after Mewtwo\u2019s mysterious disappearance, these Trainers were sent another message\u2014an invitation to Times Square.<\/p>\n

Heading into Times Square <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Walking into the event, Pok\u00e9mon apparel and portable batteries were abundant, as you\u2019d expect from the select Pok\u00e9mon GO players in attendance. Attendees had only just found out the location of the event\u2014Father Duffy Square at the north end of Times Square\u2014and were still unsure what was about to unfold, but the excitement was nonetheless electric. Two DJs spun beats at the illuminated archway entrance into the space, keeping the energy up as the crowd settled in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once inside the venue, attendees lined up to snap photos with friends at the two photo ops in the back: a subway set plastered with Pok\u00e9mon GO logos, and a recreation of an in-game postcard that framed the subject with a backdrop of Times Square.<\/p>\n

Gaming event host and producer Sydnee Goodman was the emcee for the evening\u2019s festivities, and three Pok\u00e9mon GO content creators\u2014AwesomeAdamTV, landoralpha, and MYSTIC7\u2014weaved through the crowd to stream the event live to the official Pok\u00e9mon GO Twitch channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Many of the attendees were Community Ambassadors and members of their local communities, representing their regional pockets of Pok\u00e9mon GO fandom. It was amazing to see these clusters of long-time fans celebrating the game that brought them together, taking plentiful group photos, and cheering whenever someone caught an especially cool Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n

But perhaps even more notable were the new connections being formed. Community Ambassadors from around the globe were meeting for the very first time and sharing cherished Pok\u00e9mon GO memories. These dedicated players have kept the game thriving over the past ten years, and this event felt like a celebration of their contributions.<\/p>\n

Building the Buzz <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The outdoor space filled up, and the event truly kicked off with some fun in-game activities. Starting with the text \u201c2016,\u201d the past ten years were overlayed directly on the in-app map. As the years ticked up, special wild Pok\u00e9mon appearances and Legendary Raid Battles appeared that coincided with each year.<\/p>\n

These appearances and raids updated every ten minutes, and Trainers were given free Raid Passes to participate. As Trainers caught tons of Pok\u00e9mon and battled in rotating raids, dance music duo Loud Luxury hit the stage for a surprise performance, keeping the vibes up with a high-energy setlist and building excitement for what was to come.<\/p>\n

Mewtwo Takes Manhattan <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At 8:30 p.m., all the screens in Times Square went dark. Then, they lit up with the Pok\u00e9mon GO launch trailer\u2014the one that represented everything the game\u2019s development team dreamed it might one day become. And, of course, that trailer ends with a massive group of Trainers racing into Times Square with one directive: Defeat Mewtwo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A two-minute countdown began, and Trainers rushed to prepare their Pok\u00e9mon for a gigantic, synchronized Unity Raid\u2014a brand-new type of Raid Battle that allows hundreds of people to take down a single Raid Boss simultaneously. Once the countdown screens turned red, Mewtwo erupted from its capsule, and the raid lobby opened. More than 1,500 Trainers flooded into the lobby, making this one of the largest in-person raids in Pok\u00e9mon GO history.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hopefully going to make one of the most pivotal memories of the first ten years and the next ten years.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Ed Wu, President of Games at Scopely <\/p>\n

Mewtwo descended, and that same directive\u2014Defeat Mewtwo\u2014flashed across all the screens. But in a twist on the iconic moment from the original trailer, Mewtwo Mega-Evolved into Mega Mewtwo Y in a brilliant flash of light. This change is a testament to how far the game has come since that launch trailer first dropped\u2014a moment that once seemed impossible was not only brought into reality, but in a grander way than anyone could\u2019ve imagined back in 2016.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The battle began, and Mega Mewtwo Y flitted from screen to screen, leaving virtual destruction in its wake. To break through its tough shields, players had to charge up powerful Unity Attacks by lifting their phones into the air. It was a hard-fought battle, but with collective effort from the players and their powerful Pok\u00e9mon, Mega Mewtwo Y was taken down!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As Trainers used Master Balls to catch Mewtwo, \u201cGOTCHA!\u201d flashed across all the screens, and a triumphant burst of purple and pink confetti rained down on the celebrating crowd.<\/p>\n

There were two Mega Mewtwo Y Unity Raids in total, kickstarting an exciting Pok\u00e9mon GO Fest 2026 weekend.<\/p>\n

Looking to the Future <\/p>\n

\u201cThe first ten years were just the beginning.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Michael Steranka, Vice President of Product at Scopely <\/p>\n

This event brought to life one of the memorable moments of that original launch trailer\u2014a moment that was once thought impossible to achieve. And the future of Pok\u00e9mon GO promises even more of these electric experiences across the globe, continuing the game\u2019s legacy as a vehicle for connection, exploration, and discovery.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to ten more years of memories, Trainers!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The global Pok\u00e9mon GO phenomenon began ten years ago with an iconic trailer. The opening line, \u201cimagine Pok\u00e9mon…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":609941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[260],"tags":[18,19,17,82,286,287,288],"class_list":["post-609940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-virtual-reality","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology","tag-virtual-reality","tag-virtualreality","tag-vr"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117003247137308034","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/609941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}