


It's not feasible to expect the Google Play Store to ban all spoofing software, and player reports are pretty ineffective. Pokémon Go Hub argues that at this point, Niantic's only real option is to step up its game when it comes to detecting and punishing spoofers. Pokémon Go GPS spoofing: What Niantic can do about it GPS spoofing can make it incredibly difficult - if not outright impossible - to hold gyms legitimately, which is sure to frustrate many players who play without the use of third-party applications. "Forty-five minutes later, the gym was back in control of Team Mystic and it was level 8," the Pokémon Go Hub team wrote. They took over the gym and then waited for someone to show up to retake it. That meant someone would either have to walk up to take the gym or GPS spoof from their home. To test this, Pokémon Go Hub staked out a gym widely known to be controlled by spoofers, located on a beach with no other buildings around for at least 500 meters. "It became apparent that GPS spoofing on Android is not only easy, it's also the preferred way to play for the majority of high-level players in our area," they wrote. Pokémon Go GPS spoofing: How it's harming the game experienceĪccording to the article on Pokémon Go Hub, the spoofing testers quickly reached a pretty horrifying realization about their own play area. So, not only is it extremely easy for the average player to access a spoofing tool, there doesn't seem to be any repercussions for doing so most of the time. To make matters worse, after using the GPS spoofing app, no one involved reported any sort of action taken against them. According to the testers, the spoofing apps - which were available for download on the Google Play Store - didn't cause a noticeable drop in game performance.

Pokémon Go GPS spoofing: How easy is it and what are the repercussions?Īfter receiving numerous reader complaints about the state of Pokémon Go in their areas and experiencing a few weird goings-on in their own region, the folks at Pokémon Go Hub decided to download a GPS spoofing device to see just how easy and effective it was. But apparently, that hasn't stopped people from cheating the system in an effort to get the edge on other rule-abiding players. Your account could get banned, after all. However, GPS spoofing in Pokémon Go is still a big risk. Until the weather gets a little nicer, the idea of catching Pokémon or defending gyms in Pokémon Go without leaving the comfort of your home is compelling, to say the least - and with GPS spoofing tools, this fantasy can become a reality. Sometimes, it just takes more than a Pikachu wearing a party hat to convince players to walk out into the freezing cold.
