Pokemon GO Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids showed why spoofing remains popular despite bans

Pokemon GO's Mega Rayquaza Elite Raids on June 29, 2024, were polarizing among fans in the community. Due to limited accessibility, many turned to spoofing (faking their in-game location) to tackle these raids and collect Mega Rayquaza energy. While spoofing isn't endorsed by Niantic or the team at Sportskeeda, spoofing's popularity during these raids does symbolize an issue.

With Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids only returning for one day at specific times, many Pokemon GO fans were understandably frustrated due to multiple factors that kept them from participating in the raids. Because of these problems, it is not surprising to see some players risk a ban and continue spoofing their location. Several spoofers also decided to participate in these Elite Raids.

But what complications are upsetting fans about Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids to the point where they might consider spoofing in the first place?

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Why some Pokemon GO players may have spoofed during Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids

Lack of a Player Community

Some communities in Pokemon GO don't have enough players for Elite Raids (Image via Niantic)

Niantic believes that the core gameplay of Pokemon GO is at its best when players come together in person to enjoy the game. However, Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids required large groups of trainers to complete, and not every community is as robust with players as major cities are. Many rural areas lack enough community cohesion to successfully coordinate players to undertake these raids.

Some players didn't have enough comrades to complete Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids in their communities (Image via u/Sensitive_Ant03/Reddit)

With some players residing in some parts of the world where there aren't enough trainers to bring together for raiding, it can't be all that shocking that some fans may resort to spoofing to avoid missing out on Mega Rayquaza's return.

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Lack of Gyms in Rural Areas

Many Pokemon GO players missed out on Mega Rayquaza's raids due to a lack of gyms in their area (Image via u/PackOfPixels/Reddit)

There are no raids, elite or otherwise, without a gym for them to appear in in Pokemon GO. While Niantic has certainly made efforts to introduce more gyms to rural areas, many parts of the world simply still lack access to enough gyms to take on Elite Raids, including those that featured Mega Rayquaza. With the nearest gyms so far away, spoofing may seem like a better alternative for some.

If a player has to travel for several minutes (or even over an hour) just to arrive at a gym for an Elite Raid that may not have any other participating trainers, one can understand their frustrations.

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Time Constraints

Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids in Pokemon GO were restricted to one day at specific times (Image via u/SomeTallGuy_/Reddit)

Mega Rayquaza's Elite Raids in Pokemon GO were made available on June 29, 2024, at 12 pm, 1 pm, 5 pm, and 6 pm local time exclusively. Trainers who couldn't meet these restrictive time demands were essentially out of luck to battle and catch the powerful legendary creature. If trainers were busy with other real-world obligations during these Elite Raids, spoofing may have been their only option.

While spoofing violates Niantics rules and terms of service, Mega Rayquaza's power might be worth the risk of being banned for some trainers.

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Conclusion

Overall, while spoofing is against Niantic's rules, some players seem to be comfortable running the risk of being banned when they have no other option. Trainers spoof in the game for many different reasons, but being able to seize on events and opportunities that aren't readily accessible in some situations is likely one reason. Justified or not, some fans are taking drastic measures.

While many community members frown upon spoofing in general in line with Niantic, Pokemon GO's mounting criticisms have led to some trainers feeling as though spoofing is their way to continue participating in the game even when Niantic's rules for events and gameplay hamstring them.