Niantic has always been tight-lipped about the criteria that lead to a ban in Pokémon GO – Until now. The company behind Pokémon GO now explains what leads to player bans.
Cheaters are a problem: Since the early days of Pokémon GO, the first scammers surfaced. A common issue is “spoofers”. These are players who make the game believe that they are in a different location. They sat on their couch but made the game think they were hunting Pokémon in Los Angeles or other exotic places.
Ban waves are the norm: Niantic’s response to cheaters has been to implement ban waves at regular intervals. However, no one was quite sure of the criteria Niantic was using.
Many wondered: What leads to a penalty in Pokémon GO?
This is how the ban system works in Pokémon GO
Niantic follows a “Three-Strike” rule: There are three levels in total, each leading to different consequences: “Three-Strike Policy”. For the first offense, the penalty is relatively minor, the second offense is punished more harshly, and the third leads to a permanent ban.
These are the penalties for cheaters in detail:
Offense 1: Warning
What happens? Players receive a notification in the Pokémon GO app warning that Niantic has detected a rule violation on the account.
What is the penalty?
- Players will not encounter any rare Pokémon in the wild. These Pokémon will neither appear on the map nor in the “nearby” area.
- Players will not receive new EX Raid passes.
How long does the penalty last? 7 days – After this period, the game will function normally again.
Offense 2: Suspension
What happens? Players receive a notification in the Pokémon GO app informing them that their account is suspended.
What is the penalty?
- Players can no longer log into Pokémon GO
- Players are temporarily suspended and can only see the message from Niantic during this time.
How long does the penalty last? The suspension lasts 30 days. After that, players regain normal access to their account.
Offense 3: Permanent Ban
What happens? Players have committed two offenses and have been caught cheating by Niantic for the third time.
What is the penalty?
- Players are permanently banned from Pokémon GO
How long does the penalty last? Forever.
Why does Niantic follow a “Three-Strike Policy”?
Niantic believes that everyone can make mistakes: As Niantic explains, this three-strike system was introduced so that players can learn from their mistakes. “Everyone makes a mistake sometimes,” reads the explanation.
Anyone who receives a “strike” should not ignore it: Niantic also points out that players should pay attention to these two warnings.
Wrongly banned? Those who believe they have been wrongly banned can contest this suspension. This would be the case if a trainer has been hacked. You can file a complaint with Niantic through this form.
What counts as a rule violation and cheating in Pokémon GO?
To answer this question, Niantic refers to its terms of use– The link leads to Niantic’s official regulations.
Anyone who violates these terms of use breaks the rules of Pokémon GO. Niantic particularly highlights spoofing and the use of modified Pokémon GO clients. Also, bots that alter the backend of Pokémon GO. These can, for example, cause Pokémon to hatch from eggs more quickly.
