Pokémon GO 10th Anniversary: Times Square Event, Mega Mewtwo Y Raid, and the Community Backlash

Participant Rewards

Players who attended and completed the Times Square raid received exclusive rewards, including a guaranteed Shiny Mewtwo with a special event background . The in-person event also included "Unity Raids" where all participants were assured the background reward, with the second raid offering a 100% guarantee for all who took part .

Player Criticism and Backlash

The event sparked significant backlash in the player community. On The Silph Road subreddit, many players called the Times Square event "a massive slap in the face" to the broader player base . The criticism centered on the fact that the exclusive Shiny background Mewtwo was only available to a handful of players who could physically attend in New York City, while the vast majority of the global player base received no equivalent reward or in-game make-good . This created a stark "haves vs. have-nots" dynamic that left many feeling excluded from the 10th anniversary celebration.

GO Fest 2026: Global Weekend

The Times Square surprise event served as the kickoff to Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global, which runs July 11–12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time on both days .

Key details about GO Fest Global:

• Free for all players: For the first time, no paid ticket is required. Every player who logs in gets access to all bonuses, Special Research, and boosted Shiny rates .
• Mega Mewtwo X and Y worldwide debut: Both forms arrive via Super Mega Raids. Mega Mewtwo X appears on Saturday July 11; Mega Mewtwo Y on Sunday July 12 . You'll need separate Mega Energy X and Mega Energy Y to evolve each form .
• Zeraora Special Research: A permanent Special Research quest grants a mythical Zeraora encounter to all players .
• Branching Timed Research: Players choose between a Mega Mewtwo X or Mega Mewtwo Y path .
• Habitat Hours: Three type-themed habitat blocks each day with corresponding wild spawns, Field Research, and Global Challenges .
• All past Legendary Pokémon will appear in 5-star raids across both days .
• Three new costume Pikachu and Pikachu-visor versions of the Kanto starters that can evolve .
• Unown (all forms), Tropius, and Bouffalant as Incense encounters .

While the free global event was widely welcomed, the shadow of the Times Square exclusivity remained. Niantic's decision to reserve the rarest anniversary reward for a small in-person crowd left a lingering sense of inequity that the generous global offerings could not fully erase.