Pokémon Go Fans Furious After Influencers Receive Perfect Mewtwo at 10th Anniversary Event

Pokémon Go's 10th anniversary celebrations took a sour turn this week after Niantic handed select influencers a "hundo" Mewtwo (a perfect 100% IV specimen) at a special Times Square event, sparking widespread outrage among the game's broader player base. The event was designed as a nostalgic recreation of the iconic 2016 Pokémon Go launch trailer, which depicted hundreds of players banding together in New York City to battle Mewtwo, but many fans felt the execution betrayed the spirit of that original vision. Critics were quick to label the event "the antithesis of what made Pokémon GO a phenomenon," arguing that gifting one of the most coveted Pokémon in the game exclusively to influencers runs counter to the community-driven, everyone-can-participate ethos that made the title a global sensation a decade ago.

The controversy arrived alongside a broader 10th anniversary livestream on July 9, 2026, during which Niantic unveiled a slate of announcements and surprises meant to mark the milestone. While the livestream itself generated excitement among fans, the Times Square influencer giveaway quickly overshadowed those celebrations, dominating conversation across social media and gaming communities. The backlash highlights a growing tension in live-service games between courting content creators for promotional reach and maintaining goodwill with the dedicated everyday players who have kept Pokémon Go alive for a full decade.

Sources