Pokémon GO celebrates its 10-year anniversary by transforming Times Square into an immersive real-world adventure

As one of the most beloved mobile games of all time, Pokémon GO has inspired more than 800 million people to get outside and explore the world together since its debut in 2016

This week's celebrations kicked off with a surprise live event in Times Square and will continue with a free worldwide event open to all players

^{Crowds of Pokémon GO players gather for a historic live event battle in Times Square, New York City, on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Photo credit: Carla Georgina Torres, AP Images for Scopely}

NEW YORK, July 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, Pokémon GO celebrates the game's historic 10-year anniversary. Since launch in July 2016, Pokémon GO has redefined video games by bringing the magic of encountering Pokémon into the real world. A decade later, it remains one of the world's most successful, enduring mobile games of all time, generating more than $1 billion in revenue in 2025 alone, with millions of players, known as Trainers, playing every day. Over the last 10 years, Pokémon GO has:

• Inspired 800 million+ players to explore the world together
  
  
• Sustained its global phenom status as a top 10 mobile game every year since its launch with more than 1 trillion Pokémon caught to date
  
  
• Reached players in 150+ countries and regions, uniting a deeply engaged community that averages 45 minutes in daily playtime
  
  

To mark the 10-year milestone, the festivities began yesterday with a surprise live event in the heart of Times Square — bringing the vision of the game's iconic 2015 launch trailer to life along with a historic live raid battle — and will continue this weekend with Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global (July 11–12), a free worldwide in-game event open to all Trainers.

A decade of real-world adventure

Since day one, Pokémon GO has been built around one simple idea: to encourage people to get outside and connect through play.

Over the past decade, that mission has come to life across neighborhood meetups, Community Ambassador events, and major live experiences, including: Pokémon GO Fest, Pokémon GO Wild Area, Pokémon GO City Safari, and Pokémon GO Tour. Global versions of the biggest live events bring the excitement of these live experiences to players everywhere. The impact over the past decade includes:

• 100+ billion kilometers explored by Trainers while playing Pokémon GO — that’s 334 round trips between the Earth and the Sun
  
  
• Live events across 60+ cities in 25+ countries and regions
  
  
• Record attendance and engagement across three continents at Pokémon GO Fest 2026 (read more here)
  
  
• Millions of players attending the live events, with millions more exploring host cities while playing
  
  

Pokémon GO takes over Times Square

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, yesterday — in a surprise event — Pokémon GO transformed one of the world's most iconic locations into an immersive real-world game board to bring to life the vision first showcased in Pokémon GO's 2015 launch trailer. A summary of the celebration:

• Trainers united to take down the legendary Pokémon Mega Mewtwo Y in a synchronized, real-world raid battle.
  
  
• More than 1,000 players simultaneously battled in one of the largest in-person raids in Pokémon GO history — all of which was streamed live for fans to enjoy. Since launch, Trainers have completed more than 10 billion raid battles worldwide.
  
  
• In addition to gameplay, attendees were treated to a surprise performance by the Los Angeles-based global dance music duo, Loud Luxury, setting the stage for the massive cooperative gaming feat.
  
  

Hear from the Pokémon GO team

“As Pokémon GO celebrates its 10th anniversary, what continues to inspire us is how the community has grown with the game,” said Ed Wu, President, Games at Scopely. “What started as an invitation to explore the world around you has become something that brings players together across cities, countries, and cultures, from neighborhood meetups to celebrations that draw hundreds of thousands of people together. As we look ahead, our commitment remains unchanged: to keep evolving the game in ways that turn everyday places into opportunities for discovery and connection. We’re grateful to every player who has brought Pokémon GO to life in their community, and we’re excited to keep building its future together.”

“When we first dreamt what Pokémon GO might become a decade ago, hosting more than a thousand people in a single, local raid battle was just a pipe dream,” said Michael Steranka, Vice President of Product for Pokémon GO at Scopely. “We never stopped asking ourselves, ‘What if?’ and ‘How could we do it?’ Seeing that vision become a reality in Times Square was the perfect way to celebrate 10 years of playing together with our community.”

Next up - Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global and more community fun

The celebration continues this weekend as Trainers around the world take part in Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global starting July 11 at 10:00 a.m. through July 12 at 7:00 p.m. (local time).

• To celebrate the 10-year anniversary, this year’s event will be entirely free for all players who log in during the weekend.
  
  
• Every participant will receive access to exclusive Special Research that leads to an encounter with the Mythical Pokémon Zeraora, increased Shiny Pokémon encounter rates, and event-specific gameplay bonuses without needing a paid premium ticket.
  
  

Additionally, more than two dozen Pokémon GO community celebrations will take place to bring the live experience to even more communities worldwide.

• Attendees can participate in exclusive giveaways, unlock in-game rewards, and join community-led activities.
  
  
• Pop-up community events offer Trainers the ability to enjoy the unique magic of a Pokémon GO live event closer to home.
  
  
• Local activations will occur across:
  
  
  • Asia in India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand
  • Europe & Oceania in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the UK
  • North America in Canada and the U.S. in California, Georgia, and Texas
    
    

For more details on local community celebrations, visit the official Pokémon GO blog.

Media Assets & Resources:

• Pokémon GO in Times Square — event photos:
  • Download official AP Images event photography HERE
  • Credit: Carla Georgina Torres, AP Images for Scopely
    
    
    
• Pokémon GO in Times Square — broadcast b-roll:
  
  
  • Access high-definition event B-roll HERE or via WeTransfer HERE
  • Credit: footage courtesy of Scopely
    
    

About Scopely

Scopely is a leading video game and global interactive entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most beloved and enduring experiences, including two of the most successful mobile games of all-time “MONOPOLY GO!” and “Pokémon GO,” along with “Stumble Guys,” “Star Trek™ Fleet Command,” “MARVEL Strike Force,” “WWE Champions,” the Scrabble® franchise, “Yahtzee® With Buddies,” and many others. Across mobile, web, PC, and console, Scopely creates, develops, publishes, and live-operates one of the most diversified and award-winning portfolios in the games industry — bringing hundreds of millions of players together each year through a shared love of play.

Founded in 2011, Scopely is powered by its exceptional team — including thousands of world-class gamemakers around the globe, a distinctive tenet-driven culture, and its proprietary technology platform, Playgami. Together, these strengths have fueled Scopely’s position as the #1 mobile games company in the U.S. and #2 globally, generating more than $15 billion in lifetime revenue. Whether building global sensations like “MONOPOLY GO!” from the ground up, or expanding through strategic acquisitions, including the FoxNext, GSN, and Niantic games businesses — Scopely consistently delivers experiences players love today and return to for years to come.

Recognized multiple times as one of the "100 Most Influential Companies in the World" by TIME magazine and one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies" and “Best Workplaces for Innovators,” Scopely believes that video games can be a force for good — creating meaningful connections, vibrant communities, and making life better through play.

Scopely has global operations and partners across four continents in more than thirty countries worldwide. For more information, visit: https://www.scopely.com/.

About The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International manages the Pokémon property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.

Media Contact:

Mark Van Lommel
Director, Marketing Communications
Scopely
mark.vanlommel@scopely.com
www.pokemongo.com | www.scopely.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c40bfbaa-3296-46a9-bf8a-2f277f6f0110

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.