Nearly 6,000 Pokémon Sun and Moon players have been banned from using the Global Link, the game’s main online feature. In an announcement on the Japanese Global Link page, The Pokémon Company confirmed that players with “illegal save data” have been barred from going online.
5,954 players have been caught cheating thus far. That typically means they’ve used hacks, modifications and other means to alter items and trainer info, or that they’ve used “illegal” Pokémon in online competitions or trades.
It’s unclear which particular cheats are getting players in trouble with The Pokémon Company, however — and whether those who simply received hacked Pokémon unwittingly are now facing the consequences too. We’ve reached out for clarification on what gets players booted from the Global Link.
The penalty for cheating is a permanent ban from participating in global missions, rating battles and competitions. Affected players will receive an error code when trying to connect to the internet and use these features. The Pokémon Company also stated on the Global Link site that it plans to keep an eye out for and ban additional cheaters in the future.
It’s a reminder that The Pokémon Company does not go easy on those who try to play Sun, Moon and other Pokémon games other than how they were intended. In 2013, following the launch of Pokémon X and Y, more than 1,500 players were banned from competing in an online tournament because they used hacked Pokémon.