Pokémon GO Celebrates 10 Years With The Kalos Event And Mega Nights In Los Angeles — And That’s Only The Beginning

For the last ten years, Pokémon GO has been one of the definitive mobile games. Following the massive initial success of the game, larger communities have endured over the years, with the developers adding more creatures, challenges, and content to the game. The result is a decade’s worth of players who are more than eager to test their might against each other, while also inviting new players into the fold.

As part of a year-long celebration to honor the ten-year anniversary of the game, Scopely and the Pokémon Company have set up several major events across the world to bring players together. Among the first of these events was held at the Rose Bowl in the larger Los Angeles County, with the Pokémon GO Tour – Kalos event proving to be a blast for players of all stripes, with plenty of interactive elements, photo opportunities, and exciting game drops keeping players invested. ComicBook got the chance to attend the event, speak with one of the chief architects of the experience, and learn more about how the rest of the year is set to unfold for the game.

Balancing The Pokémon GO Experience For Rookie Trainers And Veteran Pokémon Masters

Over 43,000 unique Trainers took part directly in the Pokémon GO Tour – Kalos event at the Rose Bowl, and that’s on top of the 330,000 total players who participated in the game across the Los Angeles area. Overall, the entire experience was a major success that showcased the passion and community that drives Pokémon GO players. Angela Ferguson Martins, Live Events Marketing Manager at Scopely and the global event lead for Pokémon GO tour, was at the event to see the fun playing out firsthand. Managing these types of events can be quite tricky, as they need to appeal to both new players and long-term trainers. It’s something Martins and the rest of the team have kept in mind and have luckily gotten a few years of practice managing thanks to other events.

“When we were doing our initial event planning, we took all that into consideration. Who is coming to this event? Who do we want to enjoy this event? The answer is everyone. So every activation you see out here, all the activities you can partake in, everybody can enjoy them. If you go up to the coastal laboratory and you take part in the PvP battleground, if you’re an expert Battler, you can go in there and wipe the floor, get your prize, and get out of there. You can show off to everybody. But maybe it’s your first time. Maybe you’ve never played in the Go Battle League. You want to learn more. We actually have coaches up there who can teach you about team building and about how different charged and fast attacks work.“

“That activity can be played by anyone, and we make sure that you can enjoy it. We have our habitats, which are these larger-than-life creations of where Pokémon may live. In the Mountain Manor, you’ll find this spooky cabin, where you might find ghost-type Pokémon and ice-type Pokémon. If you’re new to the game, you find out quickly. If you’re a master, you’ll see lots of nods to other regions from the games. No matter where you land on that spectrum, you can have a great time at the Pokémon Go live events. We really strive for that, and we hope that people see it in the event.”

The Pokémon GO Tour – Kalos Event Was Laying The Groundwork For A Major 2026

While there have been plenty of Pokémon Go events, the team has found extreme success with the global tour during events at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This year was the third event in as many years held in the California stadium, with the addition of the Mega Night experience that unlocked new challenges and thrived on the more bombastic vibes that can come with the franchise. “What you’re seeing during the day, it becomes something totally new during the nighttime experience. We couldn’t be happier to be giving our Trainers all the gameplay they want. We have an amazing partnership with the Pokemon Company, and we really appreciate the work that comes from both sides to make this happen, I think specifically talking about this being the 10th Anniversary, I think there are a lot of trainers like you who maybe played during that initial Blitz, maybe for six months to a year, and then, let’s be honest, they stopped playing.

“Because of the 10th Anniversary, it’s kind of coming back into vogue. People are jumping back into the game and realizing not only how much the game itself and the gameplay have evolved, but also that the community has evolved. We have incredible community ambassador groups that have popped up all over the world. There are meetups you can attend every single day of the week if you want to play with your local community. We get to see relationships build. We had a wedding at Pokémon Go Fest this year! We literally hosted somebody’s wedding, who had met over this game. I think that amazing community is almost more impressive to a returning trainer. If you’re really hardcore, you’re really into it, but if you’re just jumping back in, you want to figure out how to really immerse yourself in this game.”

That community is paramount to the effect of the events, which is why Scopely and the Pokémon Company are so excited to bring new events to players worldwide. While the event was being held in the larger Los Angeles area, another was held at the same time in Tainan, Taiwan. Other similar events are set to launch later in 2026, including Tokyo, Chicago, and Copenhagen, on top of several smaller community tie-ins and events. Martins teased the global event set to happen this weekend and teased out some of the other events planned to celebrate the anniversary. “A lot of the things happening [in the Pokémon GO Tour – Kalos event] are foundations for things you’ll see continue to grow throughout the year. Keep an eye on what’s going on, and come join us for future events. Global events are coming up. No matter where you are in the world, if you have the Pokémon Go app, come play with us and enjoy the experience.“