‘Pokémon Go’ Cheat Drama Ensues As More GPS Map Apps Get Shut Down And Blocked

Pokémon Go cheaters may have realized that some of their favorite GPS tracking apps aren’t working correctly. According to developers in the hacking scene, Niantic and internal beefs have brought up an interesting dilemma.

First is the case of Go Scan, which, like PokéVision before it, has simply been forced to cease development altogether.

“Looks like Niantic has thrown a wrench at us that we can't (or have no motivation to) get past,” wrote developer DaiBu2 on Reddit. “It was a fun ride.”

While not as high profile as PokéVision, Go Scan was downloaded more than 100,000 times and was used to find over 9 million Pokémon during its tenure.

This development is yet another example of Niantic’s ongoing commitment to stifle services that offer tracking advantages not available in Pokémon Go’s official release. Especially since the step tracking system was removed, many trainers still use apps like Go Scan to make the hunt more bearable.

Aside from being forcibly removed by developers, other GPS mapping solutions have been shut down for API usage. Alternatives like PokeDetector and ScanGO knowingly leverage FastPokeMap connectivity, and the creator of that web app has decided to block access to the service. While at one time there was free access to the API, developers found that more than 60 percent of its 6 million daily user activity was coming from third-party solutions. To keep the cost of the service reasonable for owners and free for players, access restrictions were enforced.

As a courtesy to app developers that still wish to use FastPokeMap outside of its main site, the developers are currently working on a specific API that’s limited to six calls per minute. This should reduce server load and keep operational demand low enough to maintain the project’s open nature. It may mean cheating app accuracy will dip a bit, but not by any measure that would cause serious damage. It’s also worth noting that recent tweets confirm agreements between FastPokeMap, ScanGo and Pokewhere as long as they remain “compliant.” We assume this is a reference to the new delay requirement.

For Pokémon Go enthusiasts that would rather not get wrapped up in the fervor, the minds behind FastPokeMap are in the midst of creating their own mobile app that uses the API directly. It has not yet been released, however. Until then, feel free to try out PokéMesh. It’s a great tracker with tons of cool features.

Pokémon Go is available now on Android and iOS.

Do you cheat with a GPS tracker while playing Pokémon Go? Which one is your favorite? Tell us in the comments section!