Pokemon GO Marks Cheaters with Inventory Slash & Game Misbehaving

Niantic is introducing new measures against cheaters in Pokemon GO. The new measure targets players using third-party software which allows them to work around normal gameplay. From now on, Pokemon using these third-party services will have a slash in their inventory to mark them as cheaters. Also, they won’t behave normally, making life more difficult for bots and others who play dirty.

Ever since Pokemon GO launched almost a year ago, it has had problems with cheaters using all kinds of methods to gain an unfair advantage in the game. Some manipulate their GPS in order to teleport around the map and ping Gyms. Others use bot accounts in order to get mileage way above what’s feasible under normal circumstances. Naintic have been doing everything they can to fight cheaters off, including several wave bans. Unfortunately, those affected by bans would simply make new accounts and start over.

Now, Niantic is cracking down on cheaters again, and this time, they have more tricks up their sleeve. They’ll be branding accounts found using third-party services to cheat. According to a Reddit post by NianticGeorge (a representative of Niantic), Pokemon using cheats will have a slash in their inventory. This will mark them for all to see. Additionally, those Pokemon will behave abnormally. The post doesn’t detail exactly how, but it will definitely make life a whole lot harder for these people. Here’s the Reddit post in its entirety:

With the announcement of Raid Battles and the new battle features, we are staying true on our commitment to ensuring that Pokémon GO continues to be a fun and fair experience for all Trainers. Starting today, Pokémon caught using third-party services that circumvent normal gameplay will appear marked with a slash in the inventory and may not behave as expected. We are humbled by the excitement for all the new features we announced yesterday.This is one small part of our continued commitment to maintaining the integrity of our community and delivering an amazing Pokémon GO experience.

Hopefully, these new measures will let normal players breathe more easily. This is especially important considering the new Gym & Raid Battle update, which should introduce new challenges into the game, and maybe even attract new and old players to Pokemon GO.