Following an exclusive 10th-anniversary event in New York’s Times Square, select Pokémon Go players are reselling their unique, perfect-stat Mewtwo on eBay for up to $10,000. Developer Scopely Explore has confirmed that selling in-game assets violates its terms of service, warning that offenders face potential account bans.
An Exclusive Event Sparks Community Outrage
In early July, developer Scopely Explore marked the 10th anniversary of its global phenomenon by hosting an invitation-only gathering in New York City. Approximately 2,000 individuals—comprising media, influencers, and Community Ambassadors (CAs)—were granted access to a special Times Square raid. Participants were able to capture a Mewtwo featuring perfect “hundo” stats and a unique cosmetic background, a reward tier that had previously never been offered to the general public.
The event drew immediate criticism from the broader player base, who felt the exclusivity undermined the communal spirit that defined the game’s 2016 launch. While casual players were eventually granted access to their own Mewtwo raids, those encounters lacked the guaranteed perfect statistics and the commemorative background provided to the New York attendees.
Resale Markets and the $10,000 Mewtwo
The controversy intensified when attendees began listing their event-exclusive rewards on secondary marketplaces. According to IGN, completed listings for these Mewtwos have reached prices as high as $5,000, while active auctions for similar specimens have drawn bids up to $10,000. In comparison, most Pokémon listings tied to routine in-game events typically sell for $40 or less.
Market scarcity is driving these valuations. Current reporting indicates that there are fewer than 2,300 of these specific Mewtwos in existence. For long-term players, the commodification of these rewards by influencers and invited guests has turned a celebratory milestone into a source of frustration.
Scopely Explore’s Stance on Terms of Service Violations
The developer has responded to the growing backlash by reiterating its strict policies against the sale of digital assets. In a statement provided to the media, a company spokesperson clarified the consequences for those caught participating in these transactions.
Beyond the sale of the Pokémon themselves, many listings have been flagged by the community for referencing flying
—a form of cheating where players spoof their GPS location to facilitate in-game trades. This activity constitutes a separate violation of the game’s rules, further complicating the status of the accounts involved.
Community Scrutiny and the Role of Ambassadors
Much of the community ire is directed at the Community Ambassadors, who were vetted by the developer to represent the game locally. Players argue that these individuals, given their close ties to the studio, should be held to higher standards of conduct.
“Being a CA heavy event, like I said – NOT a good look at all for the program.”
Because the event was limited to roughly 2,000 attendees, the developer theoretically possesses the data necessary to identify which accounts have offloaded their unique Mewtwos or engaged in suspicious location-based activity. However, it remains unclear whether the company intends to conduct a widespread audit of these accounts or if the threat of an account removal will be limited to those explicitly caught in the act of selling.
The Legacy of a Global Phenomenon
This incident reflects the ongoing tension between the game’s origins as a grassroots, outdoor-focused experience and its current status as a massive commercial ecosystem. As PCMag noted in a retrospective, the title’s success has always relied on the fantasy of making Pokémon real
and accessible to everyone. By creating an artificial, high-value scarcity through an exclusive event, the developer has inadvertently created a secondary market that threatens the very sense of fairness that allowed the game to thrive since its 2016 release.
