In Pokémon GO, there are currently increasing complaints about bans. Many of them are said to have occurred unjustly. There is now a discussion on how to make Niantic aware of the problem, as the support is not responding.
What is the problem? In the subreddit TheSilphRoad, there is currently increased discussion about bans in Pokémon GO that are allegedly unjustly imposed.
The reason for the bans is said to be the use of third-party software. However, players claim that they have not used such software.
Users like newbaroque are now fearing for their accounts and want to make Niantic aware that there are false bans occurring.
Players want attention from Niantic
What is the situation? User TheBigBouska describes in a thread his problem in more detail. Apparently, he has already been banned multiple times for 7 days. Support tickets to Niantic have reportedly yielded no success:
Recently, many players who have not used fake or third-party applications are receiving a 7-day ban. Personally, I’ve been getting them repeatedly for many months.
Unfortunately, Niantic support refuses to believe that there could be false positives in the detection algorithm, and it is almost impossible to receive anything other than an automated bot response.
He is now trying to attract Niantic’s attention and hopes for support from other players, as well as from the press.
An urgent appeal from players from Salamina, an island in Greece, where there were no spawns anymore, has also gained much attention thanks to articles on major websites. Ultimately, the issue was resolved by Niantic.
How serious is the situation? This is difficult to assess, as Niantic is not commenting on it and there is no guarantee that the bans are not justified. However, innocent trainers have been banned repeatedly.
Currently, there is a huge outcry on reddit. In recent days, there have been more than 10 threads on the topic. Users with various smartphones and account levels seem to be affected.
Players are primarily criticizing that Niantic support does not respond to inquiries, as shown in the thread by thicketcosplay.
Why are false bans so serious? Bans lead to the banned player temporarily being unable to play Pokémon GO.
However, too many bans can also lead to the complete closure of the account. Niantic actually follows a 3-strike plan:
- 1st offense: Warning – 7-day ban
- 2nd offense: Temporary ban – 30-day ban
- 3rd offense: Permanent ban
However, many users claim that they have already received multiple warnings and the 7-day ban within the past few months.
But it’s not just the issue of bans that concerns players. Because proven cheaters have exploited an exploit in the GO battle league. This is now temporarily disabled.
