Niantic has finally fixed an exploit in Pokemon Go that allowed cheaters to automatically win matches, with perpetrators who used it being punished accordingly.
The Pokemon Go Battle League cheat was revealed on December 31, 2024, when a player named JukkaBukka rose through the ranks by causing other player’s games to crash, rewarding them the victory. This method allowed JukkaBukka to hit Legend rank without ever using a Pokemon.
The official Niantic Support Twitter/X account has confirmed that the issue has been fixed, and players can’t cheat to win battles using the exploit. Additionally, those who used it to score victories have had their Battle League record scrubbed to remove their ill-gotten gains.
Trainers, we have resolved an issue affectng GO Battle League where specific avatar item combinations were causing the app to crash. We have updated GO Battle League records to remove any victories resulting from this exploit. #PokemonGO
— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) January 10, 2025
Pokemon Go’s Avatar combo crash exploit has been fixed
Niantic’s post confirmed what a lot of fans suspected: the exploit was caused by an avatar combination issue, most likely involving Allister’s Mask. For those unfamiliar with the character, Allister was the Ghost-type Gym Leader of the Gen 8 games and sported a spooky white mask, which was unlockable in Pokemon Go.
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Pokemon Go players had discovered that Allister’s Mask caused issues when worn with clothing like the Wooloo Jacket. It wasn’t a widespread issue, as the mask was a reward for people who reached Veteran rank during the Max Out season, so plenty of players missed it.
That being said, it’s surprising it took this long for the issue to be resolved, especially as players had identified it before the Battle League victories occurred. Niantic isn’t exactly known for lightning-fast fixes, but a problem this severe should have been a big priority for the developers, especially when it affects the game’s PvP mode.
Thankfully, the avatar combo cheat has finally been fixed, and cheaters can’t become the very best, like no one ever was, via glitches. MissingNo might have helped people become the Champion in the days of Pokemon Red & Blue, but glitching shouldn’t be used to win in Pokemon Go.
