“That’s been my experience”: Pokemon GO Reddit weighs in on players hogging gyms in-game

Pokemon GO players have been experiencing an issue with the game's gym system and those who choose to abuse the mechanic through third-party applications. One user on the Pokemon GO subreddit posted a rant on the subject, detailing experiences with two players constantly taking the gyms in their area.

This has led to many other users on the forum sharing their experiences of players hogging these gym locations as well. Most suspects in these instances seem to be players using third-party apps to spoof their locations, likely filling the gym with strong, cheated-in Pokemon as well.

A disgruntled user shares their negative experience with Pokemon GO's gym system (Image via Reddit)

Many users have shared experiences similar to the original poster, with user u/Nopezero111 bringing up a detail in their comment.

Comment byu/KeithBallsack from discussion inpokemongo

The issue of users spoofing their location in Pokemon GO has been present since the game's release. It is incredibly easy for users to fake their location in the mobile game, with even a VPN interfering with the player's locale. With this exploit being as accessible as it is, many users are capitalizing on it to take control of gyms.

Comment byu/KeithBallsack from discussion inpokemongo

User u/pomegranatepants99 shared a story of a local player who has multiple accounts for the purpose of populating the various gyms in their area. This is a common scenario as many hardcore players have multiple accounts to collect Mythical Pokemon, fill gyms, and farm player-sent gifts.

If users encounter players appearing to use this exploit, they should be reported to Niantic support

User u/fr16 brought up the point that players exploiting this mechanic can play the game in any condition, putting them at an advantage against the average player. They stated they saw a player doing this for some time, who was presumably banned afterward as they were no longer seen.

Other users on the subreddit follow up by saying that these players can and should be reported to Niantic for investigation. Thankfully, reporting players is easy and can be done from the app. Players can do this from the Help option found on the Settings menu. Users must know the account name of the player they suspect of cheating, so they should keep note of any shady gameplay such as location spoofing.

Also check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator

---

Is Niantic doing anything about cheaters in Pokemon GO?

Niantic is on a good track towards fixing the cheating issues in Pokemon GO, but problems still surface on occasion (Image via Niantic)

Like every online video game, there is no way to instantly fix cheating overnight. Niantic has made efforts to improve the gameplay experience for the average user by issuing punishments to offending players, but their systems cannot detect every cheater on their own. This is why the game includes a reporting feature the community can use to help the developers find and take action against these users.

Also check: Pokemon GO CP calculator

---

For more information on the game, check out the articles below:

• Ditto disguises
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts