Pokemon Go Cheaters Will Be Banned, Developer Says

Pokemon Go developer Niantic Labs has confirmed that it's now "taking action" against cheaters. The announcement, which was made in a blog post Thursday night, comes about a week after initial reports emerged about Niantic permanently banning players who used bot programs such as GPS-spoofers.

"After reviewing many reports of in-game cheating, we have started taking action against players taking unfair advantage of and abusing Pokemon Go," Niantic said in its statement. "Moving forward, we will continue to terminate accounts that show clear signs of cheating."

Niantic went on to say that its top goal with Pokemon Go is to "provide a fair, fun, and legitimate game experience for all players."

If Pokemon Go's anti-cheating measures determined you cheated, you'll receive an email informing you that your account has been "terminated." Players who think they've shouldn't have been banned can file a support ticket with the Pokemon Go help center here to get the reinstatement process started.

Last week, it was discovered that Pokemon Go's website was updated to mention that Niantic is permanently banning players who violate the game's Terms of Service.

"This includes, but is not limited to: falsifying your location, using emulators, modified or unofficial software and/or accessing Pokemon Go clients or backends in an unauthorized manner including through the use of third-party software," reads the line in question.

A number of popular Pokemon Go bots, including NecroBot, HaxtonBot, and PokeMobBot, have also reportedly taken steps to shut down in wake of Niantic's new cheating penalties.

The reported previous penalty for cheating in Pokemon Go was a "soft ban," which allowed users to keep playing, though they couldn't catch creatures or take part in gym battles.

In other news about Pokemon Go, a Michigan couple has filed a class-action lawsuit against Niantic, The Pokemon Company, and Nintendo, claiming that the game basically ruined their lives.