Last year, more than five million players were punished for cheating on Niantic games, such as Pokémon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Input. The number was revealed on a new developer blog, which detailed some of the company’s recent efforts to reduce cheating in its games. Developers across the video game industry have been working hard to reduce cheating, as cheating software can make the overall experience less enjoyable for all players. Niantic doesn’t normally talk about their efforts in this regard, as it can alert cheaters about their methods, but the company has revealed some surprising details!
Although Niantic’s blog claims that five million cheaters have been punished, it is important to note that not all of these players have been banned. Apparently, 20% received permanent bans; the rest received notices, 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 strike the right balance between punishing players for minor infractions and banning worse offenders.
Niantic closed the blog with a reminder to players not to use hacked versions of their games. Last month, Niantic won a $ 5 million deal against hacking group Global ++. The group released hacked versions of Niantic games that allowed players to perform unauthorized actions in the game, such as changing their location or enabling automatic walking. The types of groups that are creating and profiting from cheating software seem to be a bigger target for Niantic, unlike some of the more casual cheaters who were caught using the software.
Some developers have taken a zero tolerance approach to cheating, but Niantic is clearly succeeding, giving certain players a second chance. There is no perfect solution to the problems caused by cheating, and cheaters always try to find new ways to manipulate the system to their advantage. Time will tell whether or not Niantic’s efforts will prevent cheaters from doing just that, but I hope the company will be able to keep its games fun and fair for all players.
What do you think of Niantic’s approach to dealing with 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 games!