Full Breakdown
Pokémon GO’s 10-Year Times Square Mega Mewtwo Y Raid
7/12/2026, 12:02:25 AM
Core Event
On Thursday, July 9 2026, Scopely-owned Pokémon GO staged a surprise raid in New York City’s Times Square. Over a thousand trainers gathered to battle the legendary Mega Mewtwo Y in a synchronized, real-world raid that was livestreamed worldwide. The event featured the city’s billboards flashing the evolving Pokémon, a live performance by Loud Luxury, and a final “Unity Attack” that let participants capture a guaranteed perfect-IV Mewtwo.
Background & Context
The raid fulfilled the vision of the game’s original 2015 trailer, which imagined crowds converging on Times Square to catch Mewtwo. Early large-scale events, such as the 2017 Chicago gathering, suffered server crashes and network overloads, prompting Vice President of Product Michael Steranka to recall “crying in the shower” after that disaster. Since then, Scopely has emphasized community-focused live events to sustain the game’s popularity.
Key Figures & Groups
- Michael Steranka – Vice President of Product, Pokémon GO (Scopely)
- Ed Wu – President of Games, Scopely
- Sydnee Goodman – Host and Pokémon GO community personality
- Scopely – Current publisher, acquired Niantic’s games business in 2025
- Niantic – Original developer of Pokémon GO
- The Pokémon Company – Rights holder
Data & Statistics
- Participant estimates range from 1,000 (Variety) to nearly 2,000 (The Verge) and 1,500 (Shane the Gamer).
- The raid required two-and-a-half years of technical development and over a year of coordination with local authorities.
- Scopely reports 800 million lifetime downloads and $1 billion in revenue for 2025.
- Mega Mewtwo Y’s combat power exceeded 99,000, and every on-site trainer who landed the catch received a guaranteed “hundo” (perfect-IV) Mewtwo.
Why It Matters / Impact
The Times Square raid demonstrates that large-scale augmented-reality events can be executed in dense urban environments, reinforcing Pokémon GO’s shift from solitary play to coordinated community experiences. It also serves as a live preview of the Super Mega Raid format that will debut globally later in July.
Official Statements & Responses
- Steranka described the raid as “a technical marvel” and noted that “hosting over 1,000 players in a simultaneous raid instance is a technical marvel to pull off under the hood.”
- He added that the project “was two and a half years in the making” and required extensive collaboration with city officials.
- Ed Wu emphasized the game’s evolution, stating that it “has become something that brings players together across cities, countries, and cultures.”
Criticism & Opposition
Some longtime players expressed disappointment that the event was limited to invited influencers and a capped in-person audience. A Reddit thread labeled the raid “the antithesis of what made Pokémon GO a phenomenon,” arguing that the exclusive focus on content creators ignored the millions of average players who built the game’s early community.
On-the-Ground Reports
Times Square briefly went dark before the billboards lit up with the escaping Mewtwo. Attendees watched the Pokémon and their avatars appear on surrounding screens, performed a coordinated “Unity Attack,” and experienced intermittent lag that caused a few hundred participants to lose connection during the battle.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact attendance figure—Variety cites 1,000+, The Verge mentions almost 2,000, and Shane the Gamer reports 1,500. No official final count has been released, and the extent of network issues affecting participants remains unquantified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “A couple people joked with me that they hoped that I would go back to my hotel room and cry in the shower again last night, but this time happy cry,” — Michael Steranka, Vice President of Product, Pokémon GO
- “When we first dreamt what Pokémon GO might become a decade ago, hosting more than a thousand people in a single, local raid battle was just a pipe dream,” — Michael Steranka, Vice President of Product, Pokémon GO
- “What started as an invitation to explore the world around you has become something that brings players together across cities, countries, and cultures, from neighborhood meetups to celebrations that draw hundreds of thousands of people together.” — Ed Wu, President of Games, Scopely
- “Seeing that vision become a reality in Times Square was the perfect way to celebrate 10 years of playing together with our community.” — Michael Steranka, Vice President of Product, Pokémon GO
What’s Next
The global Pokémon GO Fest 2026 runs July 11-12, offering free access, Special Research leading to the Mythical Zeraora, increased Shiny encounter rates, and worldwide Super Mega Raids against Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. The event marks the first fully free global celebration since the franchise’s debut.
