Since early 2018, the maps for scanning Pokémon in Pokémon GO have been discontinued. But will the maps return?
They were popular, but also controversial: maps for scanning Pokémon. At the beginning of 2018, the last pages that offered this service went down. Many players were disappointed about this.
We are investigating the question of whether the maps will come back and why they were banned in the first place.
Maps in Pokémon GO – A curse and a blessing at the same time
What are maps? Several websites offered Pokémon GO players a specific service: For a fee, players could unlock a map for their city or region.
The map then displayed Pokémon, and players could see where the Pokémon were located in their city. Rare Pokémon like Snorlax or Dragonite could be easily found this way. IVs were also partially scanned.
Not only Pokémon were displayed. Gyms and raids were also scanned. This made it easier for players to coordinate for raids since they could see the raids without being on site.
How did the maps work? The providers purchased bots from other large providers. These bots operated in a desired area and showed all the Pokémon they encountered. Therefore, the maps operated through several thousand accounts that circulated in an area.
Why did Niantic take action? The maps have been a thorn in Niantic’s side since day one:
- Anyone who can find rare Pokémon so quickly and easily is cheating. Snorlax and Co. were supposed to be rare and not caught easily from a car.
- Additionally, the map providers charged for their service. According to Niantic, no third-party should profit from Pokémon GO. For a similar reason, Niantic also banned the best player in the world for a month.
- Niantic also confirmed that the thousands of bots driving the maps severely impacted the Pokémon GO servers. Since the bots were banned, the servers have been running more smoothly.
This is how Niantic proceeded: Niantic primarily targeted the providers of the bots rather than the maps themselves. A large provider named Bossland was one of Niantic’s targets.
Niantic improved their software to detect such bots. Many bots that were used could be directly recognized and banned.
Will the maps return?
At the beginning of the year, the last maps were shut down. Since then, no provider has managed to establish and operationalize a map. Is there a chance that the maps will come back?
How likely is it: Maps, as they were functioning before, will likely not return. Since bots are quickly detected and providers like Bossland have to deal with significant lawsuits, the future of maps looks rather bleak.
How it might work: The providers of maps and bots are still working to find solutions. They are attempting to program bots that are not easily detectable. However, Niantic continues to take action. There is hope for map lovers, as many providers are trying to find a solution.
Are there alternatives? There are no real alternatives to maps. The Nest Atlas from TheSilphRoad can help you find Pokémon nests. Such sites are becoming more numerous. They rely on the help of the player community, who can register the nests themselves.
How did the shutdown of the maps affect things? After the maps were shut down, there was a loud outcry. Many players especially enjoyed playing with the maps. A large portion of these players has remained loyal to the game, even without a map.
Niantic is trying hard to keep these players engaged. Various events are meant to provide trainers with variety in catching Pokémon. They should see that it is also possible without maps.
The maps have now been off for almost a year, and yet thousands of fans remain loyal to the game. Many players enjoyed the game with maps, and this continues even without that service. It will be exciting to see if a map can make it back to the market.
Have you battled the new raid boss yet? It’s so easy that many players can defeat it alone:
