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Pokémon Go Times Square Mewtwo are being resold for thousands, despite anger
Scopely's celebration of Pokémon Go's milestone included a promotional stunt where a special Mewtwo appeared in Times Square, accessible only to influencers and press who completed a raid. Those attendees obtained flawless Pokémon with a unique background variant; regular players who later participated in their own raids could not achieve these same attributes. The limited availability created a tiered experience that many felt contradicted the game's original appeal as an inclusive, community-driven phenomenon.
In the aftermath, secondary markets have emerged where attendees are trading their exclusive Mewtwos for substantial sums, with premium variants commanding prices between $500 and $5,000 on eBay. The scarcity—fewer than 2,300 known examples—has established this as a valuable commodity compared to standard event releases. For players who viewed the anniversary celebration as a community moment, watching privileged participants monetise their exclusive access has reinforced perceptions that the developer prioritises influencer marketing and monetisation over the cooperative values that drove the game's initial success.
In short
- Pokémon Go's 10th anniversary Times Square event granted influencers and press exclusive access to catch perfect-stat Mewtwo with special cosmetics unavailable to ordinary players.
- These rare digital collectibles are being resold on eBay for $500–$5,000, with fewer than 2,300 in existence, whilst typical event variants sell for $40.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Companies allocating exclusive promotional content to media and influencers is standard business practice that drives awareness and coverage for major announcements; the developers created a special celebratory variant for a specific event without claiming universal availability. Secondary markets naturally emerge around scarce items as willing buyers and sellers transact, and influencers who attended have every right to benefit from their earned access. The regular community raid still provided everyone with Mewtwo—this exclusive variant simply adds additional value for those who participated in or attracted coverage of the anniversary celebration.
The case against
Pokémon Go's founding appeal rested on inclusive community play, and tiering experiences by influencer status fundamentally contradicts that promise. Creating massive price disparities (free standard variants versus thousands for exclusive ones) privileges those with media connections over engaged players, suggesting the developer prioritises monetisation and influencer relationships over the cooperative values that built the game's success. When a celebration marketed as community-wide becomes an exclusive wealth-generation opportunity for the connected few, it erodes trust that the game remains genuinely fair or player-centred.
Explained simply
Pokémon Go is a mobile game where players catch virtual creatures called Pokémon in real-world locations using their smartphones. To celebrate a recent milestone, the game's developer Scopely held an exclusive event in Times Square, New York, where influencers and journalists could catch a particularly rare Pokémon called Mewtwo.
The attendees at this event obtained versions of Mewtwo with superior attributes and a distinctive visual style that regular players cannot get through standard gameplay. This meant a small group had exclusive access to collectible items that most players could not acquire.
These rare Mewtwos are now being resold online for hundreds to thousands of pounds, with fewer than 2,300 copies known to exist. For many players, the resale and exclusive nature of the event contradicted the original appeal of Pokémon Go as a communal game where everyone could participate on equal terms.