Yes, You Can Spoof in 'Pokémon GO' — But Do so at Your Own Risk

There's something to be said about the realism that Pokémon GO tries to achieve. In trying to fulfill Pokémon fans' childhood dreams of becoming a Pokémon master in real life, the game's ARG format truly livens up the traditional catching and battling experience that the franchise is known for. But unlike a certain perpetually-12-year-old anime protagonist, we don't have time to travel across the world to encounter region-specific Pokémon in GO. To that end, some fans try to spoof.

For the completionists out there, it's not easy to fill out your PokéDex in Pokémon GO through conventional means. That's why some players resort to spoofing to mitigate a lot of real-world travel. But what does it mean to spoof in Pokémon GO, and how do you do it? Plus, why is it risky?

Pokémon GO is an augmented reality mobile game that brings your Pokémon adventures to life. Using the GPS on your device to track your location and steps, players can walk around their own surroundings to catch, train, and even battle other Pokémon and trainers much like you would in the original games. You might have briefly hopped on the hype train when the game was first released in 2016, a magical time when the whole world was united in playing Pokémon GO.

Unfortunately for some, however, the game is a little too real at times. Identical to its contemporaries, Pokémon GO features certain species that can only be found in specific regions of the real world. For example, Farfetch'd will only appear in the wild in Asian territories like Japan. You won't be able to run into one anywhere else.

Of course, catching Pokémon isn't the only way to obtain them. You can potentially hatch any and all Pokémon from your Egg collection.

However, hatching Pokémon relies entirely on chance. Unless a specific event increases the chances of certain Pokémon getting hatched, you won't know which one you'll get until that Egg cracks open. That's where spoofing comes in.

Put simply, spoofing in Pokémon GO is when you trick your phone into thinking that you're in another region of the world, allowing you to encounter region-specific Pokémon from your own neighborhood.

PrivacySavvy offers quick tips on how to spoof in Pokémon GO. Here are the steps you should take:

1. Download a reliable VPN service of your choice.
2. Install a GPS spoofing app.
3. Connect your VPN to your desired location.
4. Open up Pokémon GO and start catching.

It's not always easy to play legit in ARGs like Pokémon GO. For a game that encourages real world travel, it's kind of difficult to play normally if you can't travel or are living in a pandemic. Spoofing is certainly an alternative for people trying to have access to different Pokémon, but players will want to beware.

According to many Pokémon GO players, using spoofing software in conjunction with the game violates the Terms of Service agreement for the game. If the admins at Niantic detect this kind of suspicious behavior on your account, they may hit you with a strike or even ban your account altogether.

We strongly encourage players to exercise caution and safety while playing Pokémon GO to avoid potentially losing access to your account.