If you’ve been using cheating methods to alter your Pokémon into powerhouses, you might want to take a break. Nintendo has banned almost 6,000 players from using online services in Pokémon Sun and Moon due to altered game items.
According to Pokémon news site Serebii, 5,954 players were banned by The Pokémon Company because of altered save data. These players used cheating/ hacking devices to edit their Trainer information or, most commonly, to create incredibly powerful Pokémon. Caught cheaters can no longer participate in online battles, Global Missions, and anything that requires Game Sync.
There are various ways to edit Pokémon via hacking methods. You can make a Pokémon shiny, max out its stats, change its Ability/ Nature, and teach it moves it normally can’t learn. This leads to many people using overpowered Pokémon in online battles against people who caught and leveled their team legitimately. Winning this way clearly isn’t fair, and Nintendo is putting their foot down about it.
If a banned player tries to go online in Pokémon Sun and Moon, they’ll see the following error message:
The Pokémon Company said they will continue to ban players for edited save data. But how are they discerning cheaters from people in the wrong trade at the wrong time?
For example, how would I know the person trading me an Alolan Vulpix acquired it with hacks? If I added it to my team and used it in online battles, would I be banned even though I didn’t cheat? Also, what happens to players who edit their Pokémon within “legal” bounds? They increase some stats and teach it better moves, but these things could have been achieved in game with more time and effort. Would that person get flagged and banned as well?
The Pokémon Company hasn’t been clear on what exactly factors into a ban from online services.
This might make it even harder for Sun and Moon players to reach those illusive Global Mission goals…
