During a press conference in Tokyo, Niantic confirmed that Mewtwo will be part of Pokémon GO Fest 2026. Key artwork shown at the event prominently features the iconic Psychic-type floating above a mix of Kanto Pokémon, effectively ending speculation about its return.

According to coverage from Japanese outlet rocketnews24go, a Niantic spokesperson teased, “I can’t say anything specific, but look forward to the Pokémon featured in the key visual. Especially Mewtwo… I think it’ll be heart-pounding excitement for people who’ve been participating in GO Fest since the early days.”

GOフェス東京、細かい追加情報「出現するポケモンについて」

担当者「具体的には言えないがキービジュアルにあるポケモンについてはお楽しみに。特にミュウツーは初期からGOフェスに参加してる人には胸アツなものになると思う」

胸アツとは…？（サンジュン） pic.twitter.com/ffAc5bW4aA

— ポケモンGO部＠ロケットニュース24 (@rocketnews24go) February 12, 2026

Mewtwo was last widely available in standard raids back in July 2022. Its Shadow form did appear briefly over a weekend in March 2024, but many players have been waiting for a proper return ever since. For newer trainers, this will be the first realistic opportunity to add Mewtwo to their Pokédex.

Pokémon GO Fest 2026 Dates And Locations

Pokémon GO Fest 2026 will take place across three in-person cities before culminating in a global event.

The schedule is as follows:

• Tokyo, Odaiba area: May 29 to June 1
• Chicago, Grant Park: June 5 to 7
• Copenhagen, Fælledparken: June 12 to 14

The Tokyo venue will span Odaiba Seaside Park, Symbol Promenade Park, and Shiokaze Park, forming a large interconnected play area. Attendees can choose between morning sessions from 10:00am to 2:00pm or afternoon sessions from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, with a two-hour transition window in between.

Citywide gameplay will begin several days before each in-person event, allowing both locals and travelling trainers extra time to explore and complete event tasks.

While Mewtwo is featured in Tokyo’s artwork, it is widely expected to be available globally during GO Fest 2026, rather than locked to a single location.

Exclusive Legendary Birds For Each City

In addition to Mewtwo’s return, each host city will feature an exclusive Legendary Kanto Bird encounter:

• Articuno in Tokyo
• Zapdos in Chicago
• Moltres in Copenhagen

These city-specific exclusives add another layer of incentive for in-person attendance. However, the broader focus of the event clearly centres on Mewtwo’s global comeback.

Mega Mewtwo And New Evolutions On The Horizon?

The timing of Mewtwo’s return has also reignited long-running speculation about Mega Evolutions.

Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y remain notably absent from Pokémon GO, despite many other Mega Evolutions already being introduced. With Mega Malamar and Mega Victreebel from Pokémon Legends: Z-A scheduled to arrive soon, fans are questioning whether GO Fest 2026 could finally be the moment Niantic rolls out Mega Mewtwo.

There has been no official confirmation yet, but the anniversary year context makes it feel like a natural opportunity.

Zeraora Hints Spark Mythical Debut Speculation

Beyond Mewtwo, Pokémon GO Fest 2026 branding has sparked speculation about the debut of the Mythical Pokémon Zeraora.

Observers have pointed to subtle blue lightning bolt motifs in the event’s logo, which align closely with Zeraora’s Electric typing and design themes. Zeraora recently received a new Mega Evolution in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, adding further weight to the theory that it could make its Pokémon GO debut this year.

As with Mega Mewtwo, Niantic has not officially confirmed Zeraora’s arrival, but the hints have not gone unnoticed within the community.

A Major Milestone Year For Pokémon GO

This year represents a rare double celebration. Pokémon GO turns 10, while the Pokémon franchise itself celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Bringing back Mewtwo, arguably one of the most recognisable Legendary Pokémon ever created, feels like a deliberate move to anchor those celebrations in nostalgia while still pushing forward with new content.

More announcements are expected on Pokémon Day, February 27, when The Pokémon Company traditionally shares updates on upcoming games and expansions. With Generation 10 rumours circulating and Pokémon Legends: Z-A content already rolling out, GO Fest 2026 may only be part of a much bigger year for the franchise.

For now, though, one thing is certain. Mewtwo is finally coming back to Pokémon GO, and for many trainers, that alone is reason enough to start preparing raid teams for the summer.

The post Mewtwo Returns To Pokemon GO Fest 2026 After 4 Years Out Of Raids appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A Long-Awaited Feature Arrives

After years of requests from the community, Pokémon GO is finally bringing remote trading into the game. The new feature arrived as part of this week’s major friendship overhaul, introducing a fresh tier called Forever Friends that sits above Best Friends and unlocks the ability to trade with players anywhere in the world.

Hi Trainers,

The Forever Friends and Remote Trade features are entering a phased rollout starting today, beginning with New Zealand.

We’ll share more information about when these features will be made available globally at a later date.

Stay tuned!https://t.co/szFHwh2l1s pic.twitter.com/tp0IEH1ENg

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) December 8, 2025

It’s a massive step forward for a game that has always required trainers to stand next to each other to swap Pokémon. However, just like many updates in Pokémon GO, the new system comes with layers of rules, limits, and a few frustrating hoops to jump through.

How Forever Friends Works

Forever Friends replaces the old daily interaction system with a more detailed Friendship Points mechanic. Trainers now need 90 Friendship Points after reaching Best Friends to hit the new tier, which officially grants your first Remote Trade with that player.

Friendship Points can be earned by sending gifts, trading, battling together, or completing other friendship activities. Weekly Challenges offer an extra push, awarding up to seven bonus points if a group of four players completes a shared task. Event bonuses, such as double friendship gains, also apply.

Forever Friends is repeatable, meaning you can continue earning 90 points and unlock more Remote Trades with the same friend. There is one important limitation though: Remote Trades do not stack. If you earn one, you must use it before unlocking another.

Reaching Forever Friends for the first time also gives a special one-time reward, including XP and a new raid attack boost similar to the bonuses earned at lower friendship levels.

Setting Up a Remote Trade

Once you hit Forever Friends with another trainer, you can begin preparing for your first Remote Trade. Before you do anything, the game will prompt you to add a Remote Trade tag to the Pokémon you are willing to exchange. Only Pokémon with this tag appear to Forever Friends as tradeable options.

Starting a Remote Trade is a multi-step process where both trainers take turns choosing up to three Pokémon from the other’s tagged list as their “wish list.” Each trainer then selects one Pokémon from their friend’s wish list to offer in return. Both sides can confirm, cancel, or restart the trade at any point.

Remote Trades can be completed once per day across all friends, and they do not count as Special Trades. That means even Legendary or Shiny Pokémon won’t consume your daily Special Trade slot. Lucky Friends also work remotely, so the next trade will still produce a Lucky Pokémon.

The Big Catch: Heavy Restrictions

While Remote Trading sounds like a dream feature, Niantic has introduced several strict limitations. The most frustrating for many players is the 30-day rule. Any Pokémon caught in the last 30 days cannot be remotely traded, which prevents quick swaps of new species or freshly caught regionals.

Many familiar trading restrictions remain, including:

• Mythical Pokémon
• Shadow Pokémon
• Previously traded Pokémon
• Pokémon defending Gyms or Power Spots
• Your current Buddy
• Active Mega Evolutions
• Fused Pokémon
• Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta
• Pokémon at Playgrounds

Players must also consider Stardust costs, which follow the same rules as local trading. Legendary, Shiny, and unregistered Pokémon will still cost more to trade.

A Boost to Social Features

Alongside the Forever Friends system, Niantic is expanding the maximum friends list from 450 to 650 over the next few weeks. Weekly Challenges have also been refreshed, letting players team up with up to three friends from anywhere in the world to complete group tasks for XP and Friendship Points.

A free Timed Research event will roll out from December 15 to December 29, offering rewards such as Stardust, XP, and an encounter with Scatterbug. All tasks must be completed before January 4.

A Step Forward, But Not Perfect

Remote trading is a feature the community has been asking for since Pokémon GO launched in 2016, and its arrival feels like a milestone for the game. Still, the new system is far more complicated than players expected, with long progression requirements and multiple restrictions that will slow down global trading networks.

Even so, this update finally opens the door for trainers to swap rare regionals, fill long-missing Pokédex entries, or complete collections with friends overseas. It may not be perfect, but for many players, it’s a long-overdue step in the right direction.

The post Pokemon GO Finally Adds Remote Trading, But There’s a Major Catch appeared first on Shane the Gamer.