Come with Us to the Pokémon GO Times Square Celebration

Ten years ago, the Pokémon GO launch trailer debuted with a simple, ambitious vision: bring Pokémon into the real world. This July, the development team fulfilled that original promise at a landmark celebration in New York City. Trainers from around the globe gathered at Father Duffy Square in Times Square to mark a decade of exploration and community.

The event featured an immersive walk through history, with the in-game map overlaying a decade of milestones. Attendees engaged in rotating raid battles that showcased the evolution of the game since 2016. The atmosphere remained high-energy throughout the evening as DJs provided the soundtrack for the festivities. Content creators and long-time fans met in person, cementing the social bonds that have defined the game since its inception.

The highlight occurred at 8:30 p.m. when the iconic 2016 trailer played across the massive screens in Times Square. Following the familiar call to defeat Mewtwo, more than 1,500 players participated in a Unity Raid. This mass-participation format allowed hundreds of attendees to battle a single Raid Boss simultaneously.

Mewtwo appeared as Mega Mewtwo Y, creating a spectacle that moved across the screens surrounding the square. Players worked together by lifting their phones to charge unity attacks, eventually overcoming the boss in a display of coordinated effort. Once the raid concluded and the boss was caught, the event signaled the start of Pokémon GO Fest 2026.

Ed Wu, President of Games at Scopely, emphasized that the event aimed to create a defining memory for the player base. With the first decade of the game complete, leadership remains focused on maintaining the community connections that drive the experience forward. This gathering in Manhattan stands as a marker of how far the technical capabilities and the fan community have traveled since the game first launched.