Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Pack artwork for Genetic Apex
Image via The Pokémon Company

Using an APK or VPN to play Pokémon TCG Pocket? You might get banned

Use at your own peril.

If you are one of the many trainers around the world playing Pokémon TCG Pocket ahead of its global launch through a VPN or Android APK file, be warned—you could be banned at any time.

Recommended Videos

After a user on the Pokémon TCG Pocket subreddit decided to dive deep into the game’s terms of service, he found a section in article 17 that stated that “attempts to circumvent any restriction in the server based on age, geography, or other restrictions imposed by us” could result in a full ban of players accounts. So why does this matter?

Well, currently, the game is only available in New Zealand, and trainers across the globe are accessing it early before the global release on Oct. 30 by changing their Apple store location to the country and then using a VPN or downloading an APK and OBB file to run it on any Android device. Obviously, trainers aren’t supposed to do this as the game is only out in New Zealand as a soft launch to test servers.

So if The Pokémon Company, DeNa, or Creatures find out your account is based in anything but New Zealand right now, they have every right to remove it and ban you from playing the game, forcing you to either create a new account or start fresh a month later.

Even after the global launch on Oct. 30, when you can finally download the game on your own region’s stores and finally purchase Poké Gold and other in-game currency, including the premium pass, for the first time, The Pokémon Company has every right to take your account away for you for that initial one month of early access.

As some of the trainers on Reddit have noted, it’s unlikely The Pokémon Company will do that. The wording is standard in most online games and services, with even Netflix having similar-sounding terms and conditions when it comes to using VPNs to watch content in other regions they would normally not be able to get. That doesn’t mean you are completely safe, but its a practice many people do over time.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
More Stories To Read
Author
Image of Adam Newell
Adam Newell
Assigning Editor. In 2015, Adam graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a bachelor's in Media and Communications. Working in the industry for over ten years. If it has anything to do with Nintendo and Pokémon chances are you will see me talking about it, covering, and likely not sleeping while playing it.