Even as "Pokémon Go" players continue to trick and cheat "Pokémon Go" into thinking that they are somewhere else (GPS spoofing), those guilty of such hacks are now getting banned. Even hilariously worse, they are being punished by encountering wild Pokémon, which runs away from them.
According to IGN, cheating in the game will get a player banned for about an hour. Those pinpointed include players who are GPS spoofing with rooted and jailbroken devices, among other tricks and software hacks.
A research team made of Reddit users decided to test how GPS spoofing could affect heir "Pokémon Go" experience, only to realize that some features of the game were turned off. For example, some of the players were not able to stock up on items at Pokestops after cheating.
They were further blocked from battling in Pokémon Gyms, besides encountering riotous Pokémon, which shrugged off any ball they threw. Others reported that it did not matter how weak the Pokémon was as it acted in the same wild manner.
The tests also confirmed that the bans could run from anywhere between minutes to five hours, although one hour was the most common. Some "Pokémon Go" enthusiasts claim that there is a formula that Niantic is using to calculate the length of the bans depending on how far players have moved.
However, as of now, the whole banning process remains opaque, and no one knows if the developer will impose harsher punishments in future. Some rumors claim that the company could cut off players after a certain number of soft bans, and this should shake the guts of those planning to cheat in future.
Users are opting on cheating because they do not want to walk. "Pokémon Go's" augmented reality and features require the player to walk and find Pokémon as guided by the map.
Unfortunately, Pokémon is not obtainable in bounty, especially in the country side. Rural users are, therefore, resorting to GPS spoofing because there is not enough Pokémon within their reach. To counter the problem, some "Pokémon Go" die-hards have taken to Change.org for a petition to let players suggest new locations for Gyms and Pokestops.
All the same, "Pokémon Go" bans are less harsh those of other games like "Rainbow Six Siege," Overwatch," and "The Division.
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