The Legendary Times Square Raid
On Thursday, July 9, 2026, nearly 2,000 real-world Pokémon Go trainers gathered in New York City’s Times Square for a surprise 10th-anniversary event. Under rainy skies, they united to virtually attack Mega Mewtwo Y with moves like Thunderbolt and Hyper Beam, successfully defeating the legendary Pokémon.
From Trailer Promise to Reality
The event fulfilled a long-awaited promise from the original 2016 launch trailer, which showed trainers converging on Times Square for a massive battle against Mewtwo. Niantic had never re-created that scene until now. Michael Steranka, vice president of product at Scopely (which acquired Niantic for $3.5 billion last year), said: “We feel like we’ve actually delivered on a lot of the promises made there.”
Invitations were sent to 2,000 players across New York City’s five boroughs via community ambassadors to avoid overcrowding. Players were notified via in-game prompts to head to Times Square, where they enjoyed a live EDM concert before Mega Mewtwo Y appeared on the iconic billboards. The event was livestreamed on Pokémon’s websites and social channels. A free virtual event this weekend will bring the same gameplay to all trainers worldwide.
A Decade of Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go launched 10 years ago, attracting more than 130 million downloads in its first month and a peak of 232 million monthly active users that same year. Over the past decade, more than 800 million people have played, catching over 1 trillion Pokémon. In 2024, the game had over 100 million active players and generated $1 billion in revenue in 2025. Players average 45 minutes of daily engagement and have collectively walked over 62 billion miles.
Engagement and Growth
Kim Adams, vice president of Game Development at Pokémon Go, noted that the company grew its community ambassador program from 50 to over 3,000 volunteers in the last two years. In 2024, nearly 1 million tickets were sold for live events. Since last year, daily playtime has increased 10% and real-world exploration is up 29%.
Player Stories
Howie Ragunton, a US Federal Aviation Administration worker who has played since 2016, recalled the disastrous 2017 Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago. He said the company learned from past server issues. Ragunton met his wife through the game and proposed at a Pokémon Go event in June 2026. “The game helped me socialize; it made me go out,” he said. He also contributes to the Niantic Wayfarer program, nominating landmarks as PokéStops in rural areas.
Community and Future Plans
Steranka emphasized that the game’s in-person communities and multigenerational appeal are key to its longevity. He plays with his mother (turning 70), his wife, and his children. The company plans to continue investing in community spaces and exploring new technologies only if they genuinely improve the experience. Adams said under Scopely’s management, the team feels “supercharged” for the future. “People right now need more joy in their lives,” she added.