For a few minutes, Niantic apparently tested the new spoofer protection in Pokémon GO and denied many cheaters access to the game. The protection is now inactive.
Niantic continues to work on keeping cheating players away from Pokémon GO. This is now evident with a new anti-spoofing measure that was recently active for a few minutes. This works particularly effectively and does not allow spoofers to enter the game.
However, GPS fakers quickly found a way to bypass the protection. The measure has since been deactivated.
New in-game message for spoofers
Currently, the Halloween event is taking place in Pokémon GO, attracting trainers with frequent spawns of ghost Pokémon from the 3rd generation. There are also candy rewards. At the same time, the developers are trying to take important steps against the cheaters in Pokémon GO.
During the data mining of the penultimate update 0.79.2, experts found a blacklist function. Community experts suspect that certain GPS fake apps are on the blacklist and their users can be excluded from Pokémon GO through the list.
A few days ago, this new anti-cheat measure was apparently tested by the developers. Trainers with GPS fake apps suddenly could no longer enter Pokémon GO. (GPS fakers use programs to report a false location to Pokémon GO. This allows trainers to be anywhere in the game while lying on the couch at home. This is not allowed.)
The cheaters could not enter the game but received this message:
“We have detected software that may impact Pokémon GO. This includes apps that falsify your location. Using unauthorized software that has a direct impact on Pokémon GO is a violation of Niantic’s terms of use and may result in the loss of your account. You must uninstall such apps to continue playing.”
More aggressive tactics against cheaters were requested
With this warning and exclusion from Pokémon GO, Niantic has now taken a much more aggressive stance against cheaters. Previously, Niantic warned cheaters but still granted them access to the game.
Pokémon that were caught through spoofing were marked with a red line. Therefore, boasting cheaters were easily identified by the community at the red line.
With the new message, cheaters could no longer play Pokémon GO. Players from the community had long wished for such a tough stance against spoofers.
Cheat protection circumvented after a short time
As positive as the anti-cheat news may sound – they only lasted briefly. In the spoofing forum for Pokémon GO, there was already a way to bypass the blacklist about an hour later. Shortly thereafter, Niantic deactivated the protection again, and spoofers were able to enter the game with their fake GPS apps again. This pleases the spoofers.
Trainers who play without cheats are annoyed by the deactivation. For them, it feels like a defeat.
We are curious to see what Niantic comes up with in the future and whether they can effectively improve the blacklist.
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