In Pokémon GO, the developers rely on honest gameplay, and spoofers are not always welcomed in the community. We at MeinMMO want to know how you feel about this topic and whether you would cheat if you could be sure that you won’t get caught.
What are spoofers? In addition to trainers who play Pokémon GO honestly, there are also a number of players who want to gain an advantage by cheating, so-called spoofers. They change their GPS location with the help of special software and can comfortably travel around the world from their sofa.
This is not necessarily welcomed by the game developers and the community, which is why Niantic continues to take strict action against spoofers and thus prevents some trainers from doing the same. But what if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? This is what we want to know from you in this post.
Is spoofing an option for you?
Cheating in Pokémon GO is not allowed, which is why the developers regularly take action against these trainers. To enforce this policy, Niantic frequently identifies the corresponding spoofers and imposes a ban on them. Initially for a few hours, then days, and eventually for good. So there is a certain risk involved.
But what if the developers can’t catch you? Would you cheat then? Feel free to participate anonymously in the following survey or tell us openly in the comments why you made your decision:
Advantages of spoofing and their impact on others
Those who cheat in Pokémon GO and spoof with their account can gain some advantages. What these advantages can be and what consequences they might have for other trainers, we have summarized for you below.
Regional Pokémon: By manipulating the GPS location, a spoofer can relatively quickly change their location in the game. This allows them to encounter monsters that are not easy to find in the game. Especially Pokémon that can only be caught in specific regions, which are needed to complete the Pokédex.
Those who want to catch them honestly have to embark on a long journey to other countries or patiently wait for them to be catchable at some event in Germany. This can be quite tedious and lengthy.
Here we show you which regional Pokémon exist and where you can find them.
Monsters with high IV: Additionally, the quick location changes also offer the chance to secure monsters with a high IV. There are particularly community-driven maps in larger cities where encounters with monsters can be entered that have a perfect IV of 100%. Normally, there is only a short window of time to secure this Pokémon, but for spoofers, it’s a breeze.
With just a few clicks, they are at the specified location. This can result in them securing significantly more powerful monsters than honest players. While this can provide good support for all participants in raids, it can quickly bring disadvantages in the GO Battle League. Thus, these trainers can easily outperform others, which ultimately detracts from the fun of the game.
Collecting coins: Another opportunity that spoofers can utilize much more easily is collecting coins. These are only obtained by occupying gyms. However, there is often fierce competition around these, and one is quickly thrown out again. By changing the GPS location, cheaters can continuously battle and occupy gyms.
Again and again, to the dismay of other trainers. Because there are also spoofers who claim gyms beyond the maximum daily coin limit and thus keep emptying the gyms. Consequently, other players cannot secure any coins, which causes frustration. How exactly you can earn coins in Pokémon GO is explained in the following article:
Lucky trades: In recent years, the number of trainer friends from abroad has also increased, especially since one has to collect postcards from different regions to collect the different forms of Vivillon.
Those who have diligently increased their friendship level and now have a lucky friend from abroad often cannot carry out the desired trade. By cheating, players can virtually meet with these trainers, conduct the lucky trade and secure a guaranteed lucky Pokémon.
Spoofing offers many incentives compared to normal gameplay, yet it also has certain impacts on the gaming experience of other trainers. Often, there can also be advantages, such as support in raids or a joint lucky trade that others can also benefit from.
In other areas, however, honest trainers are negatively affected, especially when they, for example, can’t earn any coins because of it.
What is your opinion on the topic of spoofing? Have you ever tried it? Or would you do it if you had no consequences to fear? If so, what would be your reasons? We would love to hear from you here on MeinMMO in the comments.
I too have dealt with the topic of “cheating” and believe: “Spoofing is not as bad as many say.” Why I hold this opinion, you can read in my post.
