Pokemon Go Cheaters Have a Harder Time Playing the Game

Pokemon Go players that live in rural areas tend to have lesser experiences than those living in larger cities because of the lack of Gyms and PokeStops. However, if you're thinking of spoofing your GPS location to trick the game into thinking you're in a different city, you might want to think again. Cheating like this can result in a soft ban for two to three hours.

A Reddit user tested GPS spoofing to see what happens when you get banned. It turns out there are several things you won't be able to do. First off, you won't be able to collect any items from PokeStops. Secondly, Pokemon will be uncatchable, running away after you throw a ball. And lastly, you can't interact with Gyms.

Another Reddit user confirmed that the ban only lasts a couple hours. Some users have mentioned bans that last a single hour, while others have reported some lasting even shorter than that. This is peculiar, as Polygon reports that Niantic dealt harder punishments to GPS spoofers during the game's beta.

GameSpot has contacted Niantic for more information on the soft bans and how they work. We've also asked if punishments will become harsher as time goes on and cheaters repeat their actions.

In other Pokemon Go news, a Long Island pizza place has reported its business spike dramatically because of Pokemon Go. L'inizio Pizza Bar paid $10 for the game's Lures, which act as bait. As the Pokemon came, so did the customers.

You can read more Pokemon Go stories from around the world in GameSpot's news roundup.