If you’re an avid PokéMaster, like myself, you’ve undoubtedly clocked a ton of kilometers walking around and catching Pokémon. It’s come to a stage where bad weather is upsetting since you can’t go outside and play games. But, what if there was a way you didn’t have to leave the house to go catch Pokémon? What if you could sit at your computer and join your friends on their outdoor excursion? Well, there is a way, and people are live streaming their Pokémon hunts from their desk chair using a popular GPS spoofing application on their PCs.
The application, which is quite a process to install, allows users to jump all around the world catching Pokémon in various locations. Moving around from Central Park, to Piccadilly Circus within a few seconds is a sure soft ban from Niantic, but if you’re smart about it you can travel around your entire city from the comfort of your desk chair. These “smart” people have even take to popular streaming site Twitch being open about their shenanigans and streaming to thousands of viewers. There are a number of Pokémon Go streams which actually feature players walking around outside with cameras and their mobile phones, but most of them are nowhere near the spoofers who are breaking the Terms of Service of Pokémon Go, and subsequently Twitch.
Can you get caught?
Yes. If you’re jumping around to locations which are irregular (meaning time wise there’s no way you could have got there that quickly) you will be handed a soft ban of up to three hours. This soft ban allows you to log in, but you cannot catch Pokémon or click PokéStops. Honestly, for pure research purposes, I investigated the spoofing application, but gave up when I realized reporting on it may influence others to try it. My plan was to create a new account and see how long it would take to get banned, and to see if I would get banned by sticking to my immediate area.
I gave up trying to install it because, as I said, it’s quite a process, and I would not recommend anyone do this as it completely defeats the purpose of the game and breaks the ToS. I won’t be surprise if those people who are using the spoofing hack receiving permanent bans in the future.
What are Twitch doing about it?
Nothing, at the moment. I went onto the Pokémon Go tab on Twitch and the most watched stream at that moment was some guy spoofing, so it’s still clearly a problem. It seems once again the Pokémon Go Reddit will have to take matters into their own hands, as they have been, with some users reporting each and every channel using this GPS spoof. It will only take a matter of time before Twitch gets involved and removes these streamers, and the worst part is that some of them are known for other games and have built their channels over the years.
It may sound fun, catching Pokémon from your bedroom, until you catch a Pokeban..
Last Updated: July 19, 2016
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:02
When Niantic released “Ingress”, they came down hard on GPS spoofing software. This will happen soon with everyone that is cheating in Pokemon Go this way.
Guava_Eater
July 19, 2016 at 13:30
And if there is some poor disabled kid who can’t go outside? I’d like to be a fly on the wall of the PR rep’s office when they hear about banning him….
VampyreSquirrel
July 19, 2016 at 13:45
Yeah, but he shouldn’t be in his neighborhood in Chicago and then suddenly in the Florida Keys.
#justsaying
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:46
I knew the Jumper movie was real!
carboy301
July 24, 2016 at 06:41
Doesn’t matter, cheaters deserve bans no matter what their situation is.
Guava_Eater
August 3, 2016 at 12:56
Last I checked Pokemon Go wasn’t an Olympic Sport….. and you’re response to my comment (even though mine was tongue in cheek) is pretty heartless in light of a disabled kid using it as an assistive technology to play. Hell all the previous Pokemon games were just that. “Virtual” walking around. He could play them just fine.
Roble
July 31, 2016 at 03:32
The twitch streamers aren’t poor disabled kids who can’t go outside. They are people who are getting paid to cheat at a game.
Guava_Eater
August 3, 2016 at 12:50
No they get paid by the idiots watching them cheat, there is a difference.
Admiral Chief - Check
July 19, 2016 at 13:04
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/226/504/ban-hammer.jpg
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:06
For whom this banhammer tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him
Admiral Chief - Check
July 19, 2016 at 13:08
That is the most advanced English I’ve ever heard/seen you utter.
You Googled it, didn’t you?
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:09
I knew 50% of it beforehand xD
Admiral Chief - Check
July 19, 2016 at 13:10
All the small words eh?
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:10
¯_(?)_/¯
Matthew Holliday
July 19, 2016 at 13:33
nope, prolly just “FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS”
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:34
Now I remember where I heard half of it xD
Matthew Holliday
July 19, 2016 at 13:35
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:37
That’s the one
Matthew Holliday
July 19, 2016 at 13:38
The need to rewatch zombieland is real right now…
Ottokie
July 19, 2016 at 13:46
xD
Admiral Chief - Check
July 19, 2016 at 15:02
AWWWWYEAH
Anon A Mouse
July 19, 2016 at 13:08
I wish Pokomon Go will officially release in South Africa. I only shot 5 of these sucky little trespassers and my trigger finger is itching.
zerohero
July 19, 2016 at 13:14
This isn’t america dude
Grimthwacker
July 19, 2016 at 15:18
😀
zerohero
July 19, 2016 at 13:15
For or against Pokemon Go, why would you want to cheat in the game? half the fun is visiting the locations with friends and family. I’ve met a ton of new people just in S.A, can’t wait for it to launch officially.
Kromas GG
July 19, 2016 at 13:34
Gotta spoof em all. POKEMON ….. GO. 🙂