Niantic’s latest update to Pokemon Go has gotten players in a state of concern. The introduction of a new rule targeting interactions with Team GO Rocket Grunts has put many players at risk of being banned from the game.
The update sets a limit to how many times players can interact with Team GO Rocket Grunts and temporarily bans players that exceed it. With the Pokemon Go Adventure Week: Taken Over event coming, players are worried they’ll get banned for having too much fun while playing the event. Especially since it will increase the spawn rate of the grunts.
You Might Get Banned In Pokemon GO With This New Update
In Pokemon Go, interacting with Team GO Rocket Grunts is a common activity for players, often necessary for completing various tasks and earning rewards. But the new change now results in a seven-day ban for those who interact with more than 160 Grunts.
This change was quietly added into the game and many players were unaware of the specifics until one player conducted an experiment to pinpoint the threshold for bans.
I got banned on purpose so you don’t have to! (Upcoming Team GO Rocket Takeover preliminary research/warning)
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In the past few weeks, the Pokemon Go community has had a mixed bag of experiences. The Mega Rayquaza raid was eagerly anticipated but the execution of it wasn’t quite perfect. Since it was an Elite Raid it was heavily criticized by fans due to its limited playability.
Regarding the new bans, a player on Reddit documented their experiment with a new account, where they intentionally hit the 160-interaction limit to confirm the ban threshold. Their post highlighted the ease with which a dedicated player could reach this limit, especially during events with higher Grunt encounters.
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The test showed that even without engaging in battles, simply interacting with the Grunts was enough to trigger a ban. Additional research showed that interacting with Rocket Balloons didn’t count towards this threshold but all Grunt interactions at Pokestops do. So there is some leeway but it’s not much.
Is This Intentional By Niantic Given The Upcoming Event?
Players have expressed their frustration with this change, particularly due to the upcoming Adventure Week: Taken Over event. During this event, the spawn rate of Team GO Rocket Grunts will significantly increase, making it easier for players to reach the interaction limit unintentionally.
While the ban does not permanently terminate accounts, it could be a significant inconvenience. Some players have suggested that the restriction might be a tactic by Niantic to combat the use of automated systems or bots.
Niantic’s decision to implement this change has also raised questions about its preparation for the upcoming event. If the company is not adequately prepared to handle the increased activity during the event, many players could find themselves banned without warning.
This scenario could lead to widespread dissatisfaction and damage the game’s reputation among its most dedicated fans.
What do you think of this new Pokemon Go feature? Let us know in the comments below.
