Pokémon Go Fans React in Disgust as Players Hand-Picked to Attend Exclusive Times Square Event Sell Their Prized Mewtwo for Thousands of Dollars, Breaking the Game’s Rules
Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary celebration sparked community outrage after exclusive rewards were resold for profit. The mobile game held an invitation-only event in Times Square last week, where approximately 2,000 selected attendees—hardcore players, media representatives, and influencers—participated in a special battle to capture a unique Mewtwo. This exclusive variant featured a special Times Square cosmetic background, distinguishing it from standard versions available to the general player base.
Shortly after the event concluded, multiple attendees began listing their exclusive Mewtwo on eBay for thousands of dollars. The resale activity directly violates Pokémon Go’s terms of service, which explicitly prohibit the sale of in-game items. The discovery of these listings triggered significant backlash from the broader Pokémon Go community, with players expressing disgust at the behavior and the perceived unfairness it represents.
The scandal intensified existing tensions regarding the event’s exclusivity. The decision to host an invitation-only anniversary celebration had already generated complaints within the community about special treatment and unequal access to rewards. The subsequent resale of these limited items for substantial monetary gain compounded player frustration, with many arguing that the exclusive event structure itself created an unfair competitive advantage. The incident raises questions about how live-service games enforce their policies around item trading and the consequences of hosting exclusive events that distribute unobtainable rewards to select players.