Over the past year, more than five million players have been punished for cheating in Niantic games such as Pokémon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, i Login. The number was revealed in a new developer blog, detailing some of the company’s recent efforts to reduce cheating in its games. Developers in the video game industry have been working hard to reduce cheating, as cheating software can make the overall experience less enjoyable for all gamers. Niantic does not normally talk about his efforts in this regard, as he can inform cheaters about his methods, but the company revealed some startling details.
While the Niantic blog claims that five million scams were punished, it is worth noting that not all of these players were banned. Apparently, 20% were issued permanent bans; instead, the rest were warned and Niantic was pleasantly surprised by the results. According to the company, more than 90% of players who received a warning for cheating stopped doing so immediately. The company is trying to find the right balance between punishing players for minor infractions and banning the worst offenders.
Niantic closed the blog with a reminder to players not to use pirated versions of their games. Last month, Niantic won a $ 5 million deal against the Global ++ piracy group. The group had released pirated versions of Niantic games that allowed players to perform unauthorized actions within the game, such as altering their location or allowing automatic launch. The types of groups that are creating and taking advantage of the trick software seem to be a bigger target for Niantic, unlike some of the more casual cheaters who have been caught with the software.
Some developers have taken a zero-tolerance approach to cheating, but Niantic clearly finds success by giving some players a second chance. There is no perfect solution to the problems caused by cheating, and cheaters will always try to find new ways to expand the system in their favor. Time will tell whether or not Niantic’s efforts will stop the cheaters, but hopefully the company can keep their games fun and fair for all players.
What do you think of Niantic’s approach to handling cheaters? Do you think it is more effective than a zero tolerance approach? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all the games!