How to Build A Pokemon GO Community in Ukraine

I remember walking empty streets during the early months of COVID-19. The world outside my car windows was quiet, surreal, places that once buzzed with life were ghost towns. As an essential worker, I wasn't confined to my home like many others, but the fear, the uncertainty, the loneliness, they lingered. In those long, isolated days, Pokemon GO became a small anchor. Catching Pokemon, spinning PokeStops, battling Raids, reminded me that life was still out there. That hope, however small, was still moving.

Listening to the community ambassadors from Ukraine share their story felt like stepping into a reflection of that feeling but magnified a thousandfold. Their journey isn’t just about Pokemon GO. It’s about finding light in the darkest places. It's about building hope when the world falls apart.

Finding Light in the Dark

Ukrainian Pokémon GO players gathering in a park

When Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine began, life changed overnight. As rockets hit residential neighborhoods and tanks rolled through cities, Pokemon GO became more than just a game. It became, as one of the Pokemon GO Community Ambassadors shared,

“our first time trying to forget about the war, even just for an hour.”

—Pokemon GO Ukraine Community Ambassador

In the early days of fear and chaos, even opening the game felt impossible. But slowly, small steps returned. A walk to a nearby park. Catching a few Pokemon. Feeling the warmth of a community day sun against your face. Feeling okay to smile, despite the war going on next door. Moments most of us take for granted became lifelines, a chance to feel normal for just a little while.

Building a Community When Everything Breaks Apart

Hands holding phones during a Pokémon GO raid event in Ukraine

Displacement shattered the Ukrainian Pokemon GO communities. Players scattered across cities, across borders, across lives upended by war. And yet, from that fragmentation, something powerful was reborn. Both Ukranian Community Ambassadors began rebuilding, gathering players in parks, answering calls from newcomers in Telegram chats, setting up meetups in safer western cities like Lviv.

It wasn’t just about playing Pokemon GO. It was about creating new roots in uncertain soil. As one Ukranian Community Ambassador explained, these gatherings gave refugees and newcomers a place to belong, a reason to leave the house, a circle of new friends, and most important: A sense that even in a broken world, community could survive.

Leadership That Sacrifices for Others

One of the most powerful things the Ukranian Pokemon GO Community Ambassadors shared wasn’t how much they played but it was how much they gave. Organizing events during wartime wasn't glamorous. It meant sacrificing their own gameplay, answering endless messages, coordinating safe spaces, even during Pokemon GO’s biggest events like GO Fest or GO Tour. They reminded me and should remind all of us that true leadership isn't about titles. It’s about service. It’s about putting others before yourself, even when you have every excuse not to.

"The main goal of being a community ambassador is not for your personal gain. It's not beating your heart and saying, 'I am the leader.' No, it's about helping other people. You are an employee for them. You do what they need, not for your game."
—Pokemon GO Ukraine Community Ambassador

Dreams Beyond the Game

Pokemon GO event as official Community Ambassadors

Through their work, these Pokemon GO Community Ambassadors have turned Pokemon GO into something bigger than itself. They organize fundraisers to help soldiers on the front lines, buying equipment, repairing vehicles, delivering aid. They dream of a future where Pokemon GO officially launches in Ukraine, where players can experience their native language in-game, and where regional pricing makes participation fair for everyone. Above all, they prove that no matter the hardship, hope finds a way.

Ukraine used Endure

Listening to their story left me with an overwhelming sense of admiration. Not just for their perseverance, but for their generosity, their refusal to let darkness define them. Pokemon GO may have been designed as a game, but in Ukraine, it has become a platform for community, resilience, and rebuilding. Their journey reminds me and maybe reminds all of us that no matter what we face, we are never truly alone when we choose connection.

🎧 Listen to the full story here: Trainer’s Eye #153: Pokemon GO Ukraine

🌟 Want more inspiring stories from Pokemon community leaders around the world?
Check out the full Community Leaders Playlist and discover how Pokemon continues to bring people together, even across the greatest challenges.