Pokemon GO player arrested for assault over Gym takeover
Pixabay / The Pokemon Company[jwplayer UmrP7a34]A Pokemon GO player was arrested in Japan after taking the battle into real life. The Trainer became furious after losing a Gym territory to his friend.
Pokemon GO made its debut in 2016, and took the world by storm. The augmented reality mobile game brought the beloved Nintendo franchise to real life as players from around the world went outside to catch their favorite monsters.
On August 10, a player took things too far and attacked a fellow Trainer in their car. The man became enraged after his friend had taken over a Gym they were competing for. The unruly user was taken in by the police as a result.
The Pokemon Company / NianticPokemon GO Trainer arrested for IRL attack
According to Japanese News outlet Sankei, a Pokemon GO player was arrested while playing the game in Hokkaido, Japan. The 56-year-old man attacked a fellow player after becoming angry.
The two Trainers were friends and had met in the game a “few years ago.” However things quickly went south when one of them became enraged that their friend had taken over the Gym.
In a statement taken by the Hokkaido Police Department, the man grabbed his friend by the chest through the vehicle’s open window, before kicking the driver’s side mirror and smashing it to pieces.
Still in his car, the scared 55-year-old called the local authorities after the assailant had unexpectedly assaulted him over the Nintendo mobile game. The suspect was booked by police at around 10pm, before being taken into custody where he confessed to the assault.
Niantic / The Pokemon CompanyWhile it appears the player suffered no serious injuries, the story is an example of how a fun game can quickly turn dark when things get taken too far.
Despite releasing in 2016, Pokemon GO has been worldwide phenomena as millions of players continue to venture out of their homes to catch their favorite creatures.