# Lifetime Video Game Bans Pokemon GO will Issue Lifetime Bans to Users Who Are Discovered Cheating By Joey Haar | Published 2016-08-18 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lifetime-bans References: [techcrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/15/pokemon-go-cracks-down-on-cheaters-with-lifetime-bans/?ncid=rss) & [support.pokemongo.nianticlabs](https://support.pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/225146308) Pokemon GO's level-based structure can be addictive and frustrating, causing some of its more dishonest players to resort to cheating, and [Niantic Labs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/niantic-scopely) (the company behind the game) is striking back against these cheaters by issuing lifetime bans. According to Niantic, lifetime bans can be handed out for "[falsifying your location](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ieasygo-location-changer), using emulators, modified or unofficial software and/or accessing Pokemon GO...through the use of third party software." The most popular form of cheating in Pokemon GO has had to do with the second point in that statement: unofficial tracking software that has made it significantly easier to find rare characters when compared to the in-game system. These lifetime bans show that maintaining the integrity of an online game is essential for its long-term health and user experience. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.3/10 - Popularity: 88% | Activity: 63% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Lifetime Bans:** Opportunity for developing new security measures and technologies to detect and prevent cheating in online games. - **Cheating Prevention:** Innovation potential in creating advanced algorithms and machine learning systems to identify and punish cheaters in gaming. - **User Experience Integrity:** Disruptive opportunities in enhancing user experience by ensuring fair gameplay and discouraging cheating in online games. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Gaming:** Potential for gaming companies to invest in cheating detection technologies and implement stricter anti-cheat measures. - **Cybersecurity:** Opportunity for cybersecurity firms to develop specialized tools to detect and prevent cheating in online gaming environments. - **Artificial Intelligence:** Innovation potential in using AI algorithms to analyze gameplay patterns and identify cheating behaviors in real-time. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Baseball-Inspired Game Collaborations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokemon-go-1.md) - [Augmented Reality Game Divisions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/niantic-scopely.md) - [Influencer-Based Gaming Activations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/niantic-1.md) - [Gamified Sleep-Tracking Applications](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokemon-sleep.md) - [Augmented Reality Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/campfire.md) - [Augmented Reality Hunting Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monster-hunter-now.md) - [Mobile Game Release Pranks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/palworld-go.md) - [City-Based Collecting Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokemon-legends-z-a.md) - [Animated Sleep-Tracking Mobile Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pokmon-sleep.md)