Pokemon GO Players Slam Exclusive Mewtwo Event as Listings Appear on eBay
Pokemon GO’s 10th anniversary celebration has been overshadowed by controversy after a special Mewtwo distributed during an exclusive live event began appearing on eBay with eye-watering price tags.
The anniversary event, hosted by Scopely in New York City’s Times Square, invited more than 2,000 lucky players to participate in a special raid featuring a unique version of Mewtwo. While the celebration itself was well received by attendees, the exclusive rewards quickly became a source of frustration for the wider Pokemon GO community.
An Exclusive Mewtwo That Stood Out
The event-exclusive Mewtwo wasn’t simply a cosmetic variant. In addition to featuring a unique Times Square background, every catch reportedly came with perfect IVs, making it a coveted “Hundo” Pokemon that many competitive collectors would love to own.
The combination of exclusive availability and top-tier stats led many players to criticize the event, arguing that such valuable rewards should not be restricted to a small number of invited participants.
Listings Appear on eBay
Not long after the event concluded, multiple listings for the exclusive Mewtwo began appearing on eBay. Many sellers asked around US$5,000, while some listings reached as high as US$10,000.
Although selling Pokemon GO accounts or in-game assets violates the game’s Terms of Service, the rarity and desirability of the event-exclusive Mewtwo created a lucrative opportunity for scalpers hoping to cash in on collector demand.
One Seller Apologizes
One of the individuals who listed the Mewtwo for sale, Brendan “LegoMasterBuild” Blyth, later apologized after receiving significant criticism from the community. He removed the listing and explained that he had genuinely enjoyed attending the anniversary event, praising Scopely’s organization and wishing more fans could have experienced it.
His apology, however, did little to calm the broader discussion surrounding exclusive rewards and the secondary market that quickly emerged.
A Bigger Debate About Exclusivity
The incident has reignited discussions about the growing collectible economy surrounding Pokemon. From trading cards and merchandise to rare in-game rewards, high-value Pokemon items have increasingly become targets for speculation and resale.
Many players argue that anniversary celebrations should unite the global community rather than reward only a limited audience with exclusive content that quickly becomes inaccessible to everyone else.
Whether Scopely introduces additional opportunities to obtain the special Mewtwo—or takes stronger action against account trading and scalping—remains to be seen. For now, the anniversary celebration has become as much about community controversy as it is about celebrating a decade of Pokemon GO.
Origin: Kotaku
