Full Breakdown
Controversy Over Hand-Picked Players Selling Exclusive Times Square Mewtwo
7/16/2026, 11:47:42 PM
Event Overview
Last week Pokémon Go marked its 10th anniversary with an invitation-only gathering in New York’s Times Square. Roughly 2,000 participants—including Community Ambassadors (CAs), media representatives, influencers and a few additional guests—were granted a unique Mewtwo featuring a special Times Square cosmetic background and perfect “hundo” stats. The game has never before gifted a guaranteed perfect Pokémon, and the timing coincided with a weekend of public Mewtwo raids that required other players to expend raid passes and time for a chance at the same reward.
Community Reaction
The distribution sparked immediate backlash within the player base. Many fans expressed disgust that a select group received a guaranteed top-tier Pokémon while the broader community faced the usual grind. The sentiment was amplified when several attendees listed their exclusive Mewtwo on eBay, with completed sales reported at up to $5,000 and active bids reaching $10,000.
Rule-Breach Details
Selling Pokémon contravenes Niantic’s (now Scopely Explore’s) Terms of Service, which prohibit real-money transactions and “flying”—the practice of spoofing one’s in-game location to complete trades. Listings explicitly referenced “flying” to finalize the exchange, indicating a clear violation of the game’s anti-cheating policies.
Official Response
IGN reached out to Scopely Explore for comment; no official statement had been provided at the time of publication. The lack of a response leaves open whether the company will investigate the accounts of the 2,000 attendees, identify missing Mewtwo owners, or enforce penalties for the alleged “flying” activity.
Unresolved Issues
- It remains uncertain how Scopely Explore will verify which players have sold or transferred the exclusive Mewtwo.
- No information has been released about potential sanctions against Community Ambassadors who may have breached the Terms of Service.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's time Scopely takes a hard look at things like this.” — SchaferQuest777, Pokémon Go fan (Twitter)
- “I know CAs are more scrutinized when it comes to TOS and I'm pretty sure selling this breaks that.” — SchaferQuest777, Pokémon Go fan (Twitter)
- “Being a CA heavy event, like I said – NOT a good look at all for the program.” — SchaferQuest777, Pokémon Go fan (Twitter)
