A massive controversy has erupted in the Pokémon Go community as players sell exclusive, high-stat Mewtwo obtained from a private event for up to $10,000.

Key Takeaways

  • Exclusive Mewtwo from the Times Square 10th Anniversary event is being auctioned on eBay.
  • Prices for the rare 'Hundo' Mewtwo are reaching between $5,000 and $10,000.
  • The sale violates Pokémon Go's Terms of Service and involves suspected location spoofing.
  • Community Ambassadors are under scrutiny for their involvement in the profiteering.

The Pokémon Go community is in an uproar following reports that participants of the ultra-exclusive 10th-anniversary event in New York City are profiting from their attendance. These players, hand-picked to attend a private battle in Times Square, are reportedly listing their unique, high-stat Mewtwo on eBay for astronomical sums, directly violating the game's core principles.

The Controversy of the 'Perfect' Mewtwo

The event, which was limited to roughly 2,000 hardcore fans, media members, and influencers, granted attendees a one-of-a-kind Mewtwo. This Pokémon featured a unique Times Square cosmetic background and, most controversially, 'Hundo' stats (100% perfect IVs). This move by the developers, Scopely Explore (formerly Niantic), sparked immediate backlash from the broader player base, who must spend significant time and resources on raids to attempt to catch even a standard Mewtwo.

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Exploiting Scarcity: The eBay Black Market

The situation has escalated from community resentment to outright rule-breaking. eBay listings have surfaced showing completed sales of the rare creature for up to $5,000, with ongoing auctions seeing bids climb toward $10,000. Furthermore, many of these listings mention 'flying' to complete trades—a coded term for location spoofing, a banned activity used to manipulate in-game movement. This suggests that the profiteering is not just a violation of ownership rules, but also involves active cheating.

A Crisis of Integrity for Community Ambassadors

Much of the scrutiny is falling on Community Ambassadors (CAs). These vetted, unpaid superfans act as liaisons between the players and the developers. As many CAs were among the invited guests, fans on X (formerly Twitter) are demanding that Scopely investigate these accounts. If the very individuals tasked with fostering a healthy community are the ones exploiting exclusive rewards for financial gain, the integrity of the entire Pokémon Go ecosystem stands at risk.