Pokemon GO Prepares For The Future, And Makes Good On Its Biggest Promise

10 years ago, Pokemon GO presented players with an idea: that they could get together with a community of Pokemon fans and take on one of the most iconic Pocket Monsters from the franchise’s 30-year history, Mewtwo. 10 years later, developer Scopely Explore (formerly Niantic) delivered on that promise with an experience Pokemon GO has never seen before, and may never see again. Or perhaps not for another 10 years.

At a special media, creator, and community ambassador event, the team behind Pokemon GO reflected on the game’s journey. Although POGO is celebrating its 10th anniversary, its history dates back even further. Scopely Explore President of Games Ed Wu shared his personal Pokemon GO journey to a packed ballroom. How Niantic’s Ingress caught the attention of Pokemon leadership and inspired a partnership mobile gaming has never seen before. How he helped launch the game right around the time he was also expecting a child. How Pokemon GO has become a part of his family, much like it has for many of us.

Michael Steranka, VP of Product for Pokemon GO, also shared his history with Pokemon GO. Like taking a trip to Korea with his then-girlfriend to catch Farfetch’d and complete his Pokedex. Launching his first feature, the Daily Adventure Incense. And how even his almost 70-year-old mom is a diligent gift giver.

A Trip Down Pokemon GO’s Memory Lane

Over the course of an hour, we were allowed to hear how Pokemon and Pokemon GO have become a part of all facets of Wu’s and Steranka’s lives. It was a rare opportunity to connect with the people behind the game and see how, more than anything, they are just like us.

At the same time, the two did not shy away from acknowledging the game’s early stumbles, like the servers getting slammed early on and the problems that plagued the first Pokemon GO Fest. Even though this event was a celebration, the Scopely Explore devs wanted to share personal anecdotes from the game’s hiccups. Steranka even shared text messages he received from folks he hadn’t heard from in years, who had seen the GO Fest news. It’s a thing that they could look back on and laugh at now, because both have learned from each mistake and are taking those lessons into the future of the game.

I saw that firsthand at Pokemon GO Fest 2026 in Chicago’s Grant Park, where that very first GO Fest took place. That event had its own challenges (through no fault of Scopely Explore’s, mind you), but it was a far cry from the “disaster” of 2017. Chants of “fix your game” were instead replaced by smiling faces, loud cheers, and a community immersed in the game they love.

Credit: Image via Niantic, The Pokemon Company

But why spend nearly an hour talking about Pokemon GO’s history and their personal history with the game? Because we were just on the cusp of Pokemon GO Fest Global 2026, an inflection point for the game that serves as both a time to look back and prepare for what comes next. With Mega Mewtwo as the centerpiece of GO Fest Global, Scopely Explore knew exactly how to make this event feel special. 3-hour chunks spread across two days that featured practically every wild spawn from specific categories (grouped by type), and every Legendary in raids, this was arguably the biggest event in Pokemon GO’s history.

But before Pokemon GO players raced across their towns hunting Shinies and Hundos and the new GO Fest background, Scopely Explore wanted to mark the occasion with something significant. I didn’t know what that was at the time, but it brought me to New York City, and as I later found out, a once-in-a-lifetime Pokemon GO event.

Pokemon GO Takes Over New York

In the middle of Times Square, Scopely Explore carved out a footprint that’s usually reserved for tourist selfies and brought those creators, media, and community ambassadors together to do what they do best: play Pokemon GO. For roughly two hours, we were treated to a walk down memory lane, with two gyms offering raids featuring the marquee targets from GO Fest’s past. It started with 2017 and Lugia and Ho-oh and went on through some of the biggest releases in Pokemon GO, like Crowned Form Zacian and Zamazenta, Origin Form Palkia and Dialga, and Mega Rayquaza. As each gym swapped to its new raid, the years across our section of Times Square counted up, from 2017 all the way to 2025. Then, at 2026, two Super Mega raid eggs appeared with a flashy animation and roughly 30-minute timers.

If you have been following along with GO Fest, you probably could have guessed that the two Super Mega Raids were going to be Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. I know I did. But boy was I wrong.

To better set up this moment, I want to take you back to before Pokemon GO ever released, much in the same way Ed Wu and Michael Steranka did for the other attendees and me. It all began with a promise — that players would explore their surroundings and catch Pokemon “for real.” That the community of players would come together for major events, like a showdown with Mewtwo in Times Square. I didn’t connect the dots at the time, but that idea was about to become a reality.

In a takeover unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, every screen around us in Times Square showed that early Pokemon GO trailer. Those same moments were shown on screens the size of buildings, with audio booming throughout one of the busiest streets in the world. It was goosebump-inducing enough to think about how far the game has come and to be surrounded by enthusiastic members of its community, but it was merely a mood-setting moment. Then, the screens went dark and Mewtwo appeared.

There, in Times Square, we were going to experience what Pokemon GO promised 10 years ago. We were going to battle Mewtwo — in this case, Mega Mewtwo Y — in one of the most iconic locations in the world. The hype was palpable.

With the screens expanding the experience that was happening on our mobile phones, Scopely Explore kicked off the most unique Unity Raid they might ever do. We watched as Mega Mewtwo flew across these massive digital billboards that usually advertise Broadway shows, movies, and more, attacking our Pokemon (yes, our Pokemon on the screen with our avatars nearby). It was an assault on the senses in the best way, and it took those ideas that the trailer wanted to communicate and made them real. To have Pokemon GO take over Times Square in this way — to feel like you were in the center of a real battle with Mewtwo — is a video game core memory that will be hard to top. Every moment, from the slow trickle of Mewtwo’s HP to the charged attacks it sent out, was represented on a massive scale.

And then, when it came time to activate the key mechanic of the Unity Raid, raising your device to blast the Pokemon’s shield, we became active participants in Mewtwo’s defeat. I mentioned during my time at GO Fest Chicago that Unity Raids might seem silly in your average public setting, but in the midst of 1,000+ Pokemon GO players it delivers a one-of-a-kind moment. Seeing all of those devices in the air with their flashlights activated, you can’t help but be consumed by the enthusiasm. Meanwhile, watching the screens and seeing all of our Pokemon give their energy to break Mega Mewtwo Y’s shield was its own incredible sight.

To put a little extra style points on it all, Scopely Explore also outfitted all of us with a Master Ball to catch the weakened Mewtwo. Again, the visuals combined with the in-game action, as we saw tons of Master Balls fly across the screens and towards Mewtwo. And it all ended as only an event like this could: with one shake, two shake, three shake, Gotcha!

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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.