Niantic is taking no prisoners when it comes to maintaining the integrity of Pokémon Go. The company has initiated a crackdown on players exploiting a loophole to amass up to 120 XL Candy per hour using Routes.
The bans have been met with a mix of relief and frustration from the Pokémon Go community, sparking a broader conversation about the game’s features and fairness.
XL CANDY EXPLOIT UNVEILED
The exploit in question required players to use a jailbroken device along with two external applications—OP Auto Clicker and GPS Joystick. By manipulating certain settings, players could trick their device’s GPS to repeatedly jump to the end of a Route, thereby exceeding the game’s intended limits. The bans, which were confirmed on August 28, range from 30-day suspensions to permanent account deactivations.
While the majority of the community lauded Niantic’s decision, some players used the occasion to voice their grievances about the game’s Route feature. One player lamented, “I live in a city with almost a million people, and I haven’t even found one route.” The scarcity and poor design of Routes have been a recurring complaint among players.
Despite the bans, players continue to criticize Routes for lacking incentives and being too rare in most areas. However, the community can take solace in the fact that Niantic is actively monitoring and taking steps to prevent unfair advantages.
