'Pokemon GO' News: Permaban Not So Permanent After All, Niantic Reveals [VIDEO]
Niantic Labs has been very strict about its no-cheating policy in Pokémon GO, banning thousands of players permanently since the game was launched. In a recent announcement, however, it appears like Niantic's permanent ban is not so, well, permanent.
Pokémon GO Permanent Bans Lifted
Niantic's permanent ban has so far been focused on players who utilize add-ons and third-party apps to get a headstart in the game. These third-party apps could come in many forms, from Pokémon trackers to bots that allow players to move across the map without leaving their homes.
In an update this week, however, Niantic has stated that it would be lifting its permanent ban on a number of Pokémon GO players. The reason? According to Niantic, the players might have been unaware that they were cheating in the first place.
"Some players may not have realized that some add-on map apps do more than just show you nearby Pokémon. Each end-user app can be used as a collection tool by the app creator, invisibly collecting and forwarding data to the app creator with or without the knowledge of the end user," Niantic stated.
Reasons Behind Permabans Revealed
In its announcement, Niantic has also stated why accounts that utilize third-party apps and other add-ons to the game get banned. According to the developer, the use of such tools creates undue stress on the game's servers, similar to what happens in a DDoS attack.
"These apps can have an effect similar to DDoS attacks on our servers. Because of this, we have had to ban some accounts associated with using these add-on map tools, leading to confusion by some users about why they were banned. This is a small subset of the accounts banned," Niantic stated.
Actual Cheaters Still Permanently Banned
While the lifting of the Pokémon GO permanent ban for some users might appear as leniency on Niantic's part, the developer was quick to remind players that players who consciously cheat on the game are still imposed a lifetime ban once caught. Lenient as it may be, the lifting of the ban only applies to those players who were unaware of what they were initially doing.
"Accounts which used apps or websites to remotely capture Pokémon, battle or deploy on Gyms, or harvest resources from PokeStops are also not being unbanned. Our main priority is to provide a fair, fun, and legitimate experience for all players, so, aggressive banning will continue to occur for players who engage in these kinds of activities," Niantic stated.
