Some Pokemon Go players risk a ban over Master Ball exploit

Niantic could soon launch a ban wave affecting Pokemon Go players as a serious exploit has been unearthed, giving players a second Master Ball.

Most Pokemon fans know two main things regarding Master Balls. First off, they are extremely rare (can normally only be used once per game).

And secondly, they have a 100% catch rate – meaning many fans often keep ahold of the elusive item until the right encounter pops up.

However, a game-breaking loophole is gifting some players a second Master Ball, meaning they get a leg up on others playing along on the mobile app.

Pokemon Go fans discover glitch to get more than one Master Ball

Multiple Reddit threads have speculated that a method can be exploited in Pokemon Go, which gives out more than one of the rare items.

Back in June, a post appeared on the SilphRoad Reddit page. The user said: “I’ve just had a Galarian Moltres pop up on my screen whilst doing the Daily Incense. I clicked on the Moltres and used my Master Ball but my Pokeball Plus must have already selected it.

“I lost the Moltres and my Master Ball. When I threw it I got an error saying Pokemon not found and now it’s not in my storage!”

Later, they confirmed their Master Ball had also returned to their inventory as well as the Moltres.

The loophole has since gained increased exposure, with The Gamer reporting its existence on July 25. In the article, the author wrote: “If the loophole allowed you to catch Pidgey and Pikachu with ruthless effectiveness, I’d feel differently, but as it is, the ball’s use is still majorly limited. I’m excited to watch that excellent catching animation time and time again.”

Multiple sources have informed Dexerto the exploit does, indeed, work and can result in multiple Master Balls being used on one account. It works on all Mythicals except for Meltan.

However, players taking advantage of the glitch could face some serious consequences.

Pokemon Go players risk ban over Master Ball trick

According to Niantic’s player guidelines, those who “Intentionally exploit a bug to gain reward” could face a suspension on their account.

The page also says: “If you violate our Player Guidelines, we may issue a warning, degrade your gameplay experience, suspend your account, or permanently terminate your account, sometimes without warning.

“Depending on the situation, these actions may be enforced across one, multiple, or all of our products and services we offer; and you may no longer be allowed to create a new Niantic account.”

Receiving a second Master Ball would be against the rules, presumably, and therefore members of the community should be warned against intentionally using it to their advantage.

Niantic also says: “Don’t cheat. Our games are meant to be played outside on mobile devices and create adventures in the real world. Don’t deny yourself or someone else a fair gameplay experience by cheating.”

Whether or not the developers take serious action against the Master Ball glitch remains to be seen, though the risks involved are clear.

For more information on Niantic’s terms of service, check out their page.