By Dexerto | Created at 2026-09-01 15:28:33 | Updated at 2026-09-04 18:22:33
3 days ago
Some longtime Pokemon Go players are mourning the loss of Armored Mewtwo’s rarity after its return was announced, arguing that making it widely available again diminishes one of the game’s most prized collectibles.
Armored Mewtwo has not appeared in Pokemon Go since 2020, leaving anyone who missed its previous events dependent on finding another player willing to trade one.
That six-year absence turned the costumed Legendary into a coveted bargaining chip, but its upcoming return means newer and returning trainers will finally have an opportunity to catch their own.
Armored Mewtwo returns after six-year absence
The Pokemon Go team announced Armored Mewtwo’s return during the 2026 Pokemon World Championships in San Francisco.
It will appear in five-star raids during the Pokemon Go Fest 2026: Mega Finale on September 5 and 6, from 10 AM until 6 PM local time. Shiny Armored Mewtwo will not be available.
Armored Mewtwo originally debuted in July 2019 as a tie-in for Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution. It returned for a Pokemon Day event in February 2020 before disappearing from raids for more than six years.
During that absence, Armored Mewtwo became one of the rare encounters Pokemon Go players most regretted missing. Before its return was announced, the only way to obtain one was through a Special Trade with someone who caught it during either of its original runs.
Players say returning Legendary will lose its value
While newer and returning players have celebrated the announcement, some veteran collectors are disappointed that Armored Mewtwo will no longer be as exclusive.
“So much for scarcity and rarity,” one player responded to the announcement.
“Not many people are saying this, but this is awful for the game,” another player wrote in a Reddit discussion. “It ruins the rarity of event Pokemon completely. It makes participating in the original event feel pretty irrelevant now.”
Others were less dramatic but acknowledged that their collections had taken a hit.
“Bye bye rareness. Now it’s going to be common like everything else,” one commenter said. Another admitted they were “a little bummed” to have lost their “biggest trade bargaining chip.”
Armored Mewtwo’s changing value was immediately reflected in Pokemon Go trading communities. After one player offered rare Pokemon in exchange for an older Armored Mewtwo, commenters warned that they were offering too much now that it was returning to raids.
However, the negative reactions appear to be in the minority. The announcement threads are predominantly filled with players celebrating their first opportunity to catch Armored Mewtwo, including trainers who started playing after 2020 or were inactive during its previous appearances.
“As a returning player who doesn’t have one, I’m stoked,” one said. Even some longtime owners welcomed the return, with another responding: “Why angry? I have two and now I can get even more.”
The backlash has also inspired players to mock collectors concerned about exclusivity. One satirical post urged newer trainers not to raid Armored Mewtwo “out of respect” for OG players, parodying similar arguments surrounding Fortnite’s Renegade Raider skin.
While newly caught Armored Mewtwo will no longer be exceptionally rare, specimens dated 2019 or 2020 will still distinguish the trainers who participated in its original events.
