Pokémon Go's 10th Anniversary: A Dedicated Community Still Plays Daily

Ten years after its explosive 2016 launch, Pokémon Go maintains a dedicated global player base. In July 2026, around 200 players gathered at Prato della Valle in Padua, Italy, to celebrate the anniversary. The game, now owned by Scopely (a Saudi sovereign wealth fund subsidiary) after a $3.5 billion acquisition from Niantic in 2025, still sees millions of daily active users. For the 10th anniversary, Scopely hosted a global event making MegaMewtwo available for the first time, requiring 12 players to cooperate. Players like Fabrizio Lo Iacono (playing since July 6, 2016) have formed lasting friendships through the game, meeting in person since 2017 when raids were introduced. Many players use secondary apps to fake their location ("fly"), though this is discouraged. Lorenzo Malatesta from Cesena plays two hours daily and manages 20 secondary accounts for trading. Coordination happens via Telegram groups. A 2023 Amsterdam study of 1,600+ players (60% women, average age 37) found that social connections, not progression, drive long-term engagement. Stefano Ceccato, 38, says the local community kept him playing and motivated him to explore his town's historical landmarks to propose new PokéStops.