It’s not uncommon practice for video game creators to ban those who choose to cheat at their games. Pokemon GO will no longer be an exception.
Niantic released a statement this week that officially announced it will ban players who choose to cheat or otherwise take advantage of Pokemon GO.
The following was posted on the Pokemon GO website:
"Trainers,After reviewing many reports of in-game cheating, we have started taking action against players taking unfair advantage of and abusing Pokémon GO. Moving forward, we will continue to terminate accounts that show clear signs of cheating.Our main priority with Pokémon GO is to provide a fair, fun, and legitimate game experience for all players. If our system has determined that you cheated, then you will receive an email stating that your account has been terminated."
Niantic has already been banning players from Pokemon GO who they have caught manipulating the game for their own gain. These bans have taken the form of preventing players from taking any meaningful in-game actions. Players would not be able to get items from PokeStops, catch Pokemon, or battle or claim gyms.
Presumably, now those who are discovered cheating will no longer be able to even enter the game as their accounts will be deleted.
What behaviors have sparked this reaction?
Next: Niantic responds to Pokemon GO issues
The biggest cheat has been players using GPS spoofing to trick the game into thinking they are in a different location than they actually are. This allowed players to not only take over distant gyms, but also gave people the ability to catch continent-specific Pokemon without having to walk a single step.
More recently, people have discovered a glitch which allows a player to leave an unhatched egg at a gym instead of an actual Pokemon. When faced with an egg, you do not have the option to battle it. This makes egg gyms essentially unbeatable.
Niantic has since released a patch to address the glitch, but it’s widely held that players who have used the glitch will most likely be permanently banned as well.
As new features are added to the game in the future, people will undoubtedly continue to find ways to modify the game in unintended ways. Consider Niantic’s announcement as their fair warning to us all.