Online Ban Wave – Almost 6,000 People Affected

[xorhash]

According to the Japanese Pokémon Global Link website[1] as reported by Serebii.net[2], thousands of people (5,954 to be precise) have been hit with bans from Online Play (Game Sync, Battle Competitions, Rating Battles, Global Missions).

Banned users will see error code 090-0212.[1,2]

The Pokémon Company has announced that they will continue their pursuit against people with edited save data.[1,2]

We urgently recommend not going online until we have more information on how these bans were triggered.

 

Sources:

[1] https://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/information/b87bc53f-7144-44ba-9a29-59bd00330d84

[2] http://serebii.net/news/2017/26-January-2017.shtml

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[theSLAYER]

I've seen one save on Gbatemp, user at item x999 for every item.
Second user, had x600 berries, few slots of x255 Beans, Has an Incineroar with form id 6.

[Deoxyz]

Odd timing that this happens right after the Bank update. Illegal monsters in Bank never mattered before, but perhaps the update sends flags to their server if an illegal pokemon exists in Bank of a corresponding NID. Maybe it's even the Bank's NatDex that has anything illegal registered. With that many bans being issued, this seems to be a pretty plausible cause. Idk how else they'd issue 6000+ bans for hacking.

If either are the case, I'll probably get a ban

[dracometeo]

I edited my save file before the 1.1 bug fixes patch. After I tried getting my game synced jut 1 minute ago, I didn't get banned. I also synced my game just before 1.1 patch when i finished editing my save game.

The data that I edited are Pokemon data(created new Pokemon and editing current Pokemon) and Item(add more item and edit the quantity no more than 99).

I hope this helps!

[ComixsYT]

Does online play include stuff like trading?

[theSLAYER]

Perhaps there was impossible formes or impossible Nat dex entries,
or ridiculous values on saves (that seem like generated by powersaves, search as Item count).

Just now, ComixsYT said:

Does online play include stuff like trading?

To my understanding the online ban only affects services that use your game sync ID,
such as rated battles and stuff.

I think GTS and Wonder trading (and normal trades?) aren't affected.

I don't use Game Sync and those services, but I can't say for sure.

I tend to not edit my cart's save directly, due to the possibility of this type of thing.

(I actually bothered to trade 40 Beast balls on 40 Pokemon onto my main cart, lol)

[ComixsYT]

Also, anyone in different regions been effected?

[YaManicKill]

Right. I know that most people are currently thinking that it's about changing trainer info. And that may well be it, but I have another theory. Both could be true.

I think it might be that the infinite island scan QR codes.

Think about it, it's something that should have only been possible to do at most twice a day (if you used the 20 point QR codes) and game sync sent it directly to PGL, so they could easily see the information.

So, was anyone banned who didn't do this, or did this and didn't get banned?

And as a second question, if you didn't do this and you were banned, did you edit trainer info at all?

[karurosu]

@YaManicKill

I was banned too. I have never used the QR island. I think the problem was the pokédex. I used pkhex and clicked on complete dex. That must have been it. You cannot get a marshadow legally or a shiny ultrabeast registered in your dex. I also clicked on give all fashion items but you can buy that and the game will detect it as bought after all...

Edited January 26, 2017 by karurosu

[Deoxyz]

Luckily I never use Game Sync functions, so if it doesn't affect normal online, I don't really care if I personally get banned. I only do a bit of direct trading and occasional wondertrade.

 

18 minutes ago, karurosu said:

@YaManicKill

I was banned too. I have never used the QR island. I think the problem was the pokédex. I used pkhex and clicked on complete dex. That must have been it. You cannot get a marshadow legally or a shiny ultrabeast registered in your dex. I also clicked on give all fashion items but you can buy that and the game will detect it as bought after all...

Have you used the updated PokeBank? Game Sync within the last week? Going online for GTS/etc within the last week? That may be able to help more exactly pinpoint what's causing the bans.

[Duxa]

I dont understand the beans thing. I have like 650ish normal beans (my save is not hacked in any way shape or form, thats just how many ive collected so far). How does this and limit of 250 or whatever correlate? 

[LifeMushroom]

 

Someone here states that they were genning legit Pokemon and they were banned in the wave. Being specific, giving a few of their favorite legitly caught Pokémon perfect IVs and making them shiny.

Edited January 26, 2017 by LifeMushroom

[theSLAYER]

"genning Pokemon Legit"
Genning itself goes against the definition of Legit.

We aren't sure of how they got caught, but assumptions is they likely screwed up somewhere.
 

Maybe impossible shiny or impossible dex entry.
Or giving yourself all clothes or all dex.
Illegal Pokemon (but they didn't know it was illegal?).
Having >995 of a single item.
Or having unreleased items or Pokemanz.
Maybe the Game Sync tracks differences.
There's a new Pokemon in box, but no trade, no hatch, no bank, no capture, where did this pokemon come from type of scenario.
Maybe Change OT Name or TID/SID or gender or skin color after Game Sync?

Not really sure at this point.

This certainly is a bummer.
I mean, I'm glad the company is at least moderating what they should be doing,
but I think what's bad is innocents may get caught in the crossfire.

[Duxa]

8 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

"genning Pokemon Legit"
Genning itself goes against the definition of Legit.

We aren't sure of how they got caught, but assumptions is they likely screwed up somewhere.
 

Maybe impossible shiny or impossible dex entry.
Or giving yourself all clothes or all dex.
Illegal Pokemon (but they didn't know it was illegal?).
Having >995 of a single item.
Or having unreleased items or Pokemanz.
Maybe the Game Sync tracks differences.
There's a new Pokemon in box, but no trade, no hatch, no bank, no capture, where did this pokemon come from type of scenario.
Maybe Change OT Name or TID/SID or gender or skin color after Game Sync?

Not really sure at this point.

This certainly is a bummer.
I mean, I'm glad the company is at least moderating what they should be doing,
but I think what's bad is innocents may get caught in the crossfire.

I think the minute you drag your save over to pkHex you give up your right for "innocence"  

[theSLAYER]

12 minutes ago, Duxa said:

I think the minute you drag your save over to pkHex you give up your right for "innocence"  

Well the innocents I'm referring to people can easily be those who received an illegal Pokemon during local trading with their friends or something.
(and didn't know)
Given how their [GF] hack checking can sometimes screw up,
whose to say they there's a possible condition they thought was impossible, and hit legit players?

[Deoxyz]

1 minute ago, theSLAYER said:

Well the innocents I'm referring to people can easily be those who received an illegal Pokemon during local trading with their friends or something.
(and didn't know)
Given how their [GF] hack checking can sometimes screw up,
whose to say they there's a possible condition they thought was impossible, and hit legit players?

That's why we thought bans like this would never happen based on having illegal pokemon, but it looks like they may have started doing it anyway.

By the way, do we know if these are these "permanent" bans?

[theSLAYER]

1 minute ago, Deoxyz said:

That's why we thought bans like this would never happen based on having illegal pokemon, but it looks like they may have started doing it anyway.

By the way, do we know if these are these "permanent" bans?

Not sure.
Given how prerelease Sun Moon players are still banned, I'll say highly likely.

Granted, the severity isn't comparable, but if they dislikey, they ban-nie.
However, it seems like something easy to bypass.
(recreate save, get new sync ID, transfer sync ID, or something. its on gbatemp: http://gbatemp.net/threads/pokémon-global-link-note-says-almost-6-000-people-have-been-banned-online-for-having-altered-save-da.458837/page-11#post-7046850)

[LifeMushroom]

Oh, forgot to mention, I requested Pokemon on r/PokemonCreate that had the same IDs as me, and I'm not banned. It looks like the majority of people are only getting banned from having max items or something.

[Deoxyz]

9 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

Not sure.
Given how prerelease Sun Moon players are still banned, I'll say highly likely.

Granted, the severity isn't comparable, but if they dislikey, they ban-nie.
However, it seems like something easy to bypass.
(recreate save, get new sync ID, transfer sync ID, or something. its on gbatemp: http://gbatemp.net/threads/pokémon-global-link-note-says-almost-6-000-people-have-been-banned-online-for-having-altered-save-da.458837/page-11#post-7046850)

Yeah, it should be easy to bypass. It may be different this time if it's just Game Sync ID, but with bypassing the ban from the pre-release SM, you basically took someone else's NID and they get yours, thus getting someone banned who's likely innocent. In that case you'll have to not care about being a dick, but hopefully it's different this time.

Though, anyone with who didn't think for a second that maybe going online before the game was officially released is kinda asking for it. Not surprised permabans were given for being caught for something like that that's literally illegal. Just not going online until release and they never would have been caught. I don't see how the reason with this ban is nearly as major, but maybe through Nintendo's view it's all the same

[wejhvabewjty]

Are Pokébank legality checks any different than before after the update? Gen 5 to 6 checks were pretty light since it let theoretically impossible stuff like shiny flawless WISHMKR Jirachis and non-Japanese Old Sea Map Mews through.

[LifeMushroom]

https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/5qdjdw/has_anyone_gotten_a_ban_from_using_pkhex_or_any/dcye654/

http://gbatemp.net/threads/pokémon-global-link-note-says-almost-6-000-people-have-been-banned-online-for-having-altered-save-da.458837/page-17#post-7048875

So I think it's safe to assume that adding perfect IVs and EVs to legit Pokemon are not allowed?

[Deoxyz]

3 minutes ago, LifeMushroom said:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/5qdjdw/has_anyone_gotten_a_ban_from_using_pkhex_or_any/dcye654/

http://gbatemp.net/threads/pokémon-global-link-note-says-almost-6-000-people-have-been-banned-online-for-having-altered-save-da.458837/page-17#post-7048875

So I think it's safe to assume that adding perfect IVs and EVs to legit Pokemon are not allowed?

I don't see how that could possibly be detected. They must have had something else trigger the ban.

[LifeMushroom]

Is anyone having success using PKHex now? Some people are, I might try because it looks like you only get banned if you get lots of items.

I'm too scared to try though. Maybe I should wait until this is resolved and the update comes out. Is there a way to take a backup if you get banned so you can restore it?

Edited January 27, 2017 by LifeMushroom

[Madbronine]

I'm just going to post my case here for some additional info. 

Moon = Banned - genned mons [legal], max items [all types], pokemon dex complete, max money, edited trainer location and pokefinder.

Sun   = not banned - genned Mons [legal], 999x all medicine and item slot items and max money.

It seems Pokedex is the main culprit here.
My friends who have genned mons from me or themselves are not banned either.

The bans are save/game sync only and only restrict you from playing in battle spot, rating battles and global missions.
As far as I know the pkhex rules state that you shouldn't be playing battlespot etc with genned mons anyway, so this ban barely matters.

I think I deserve the ban but hey it was for science, I wanted to check if getting the shiny charm through the achievement of filling the pokedex was different from just adding it in.

Quote

Someone here states that they were genning legit Pokemon and they were banned in the wave. Being specific, giving a few of their favorite legitly caught Pokémon perfect IVs and making them shiny.

My reason to believe that they got caught was probably making a tapu or any other shiny locked pokemon shiny and unlocking the dex entry.
Like I mentioned earlier only my save with full pokedex got banned. for example I edited my sun/moon demo greninja to be shiny on sun and it didn't get banned.

 

Edited January 27, 2017 by Madbronine
additional info

[hehrerh]

26 minutes ago, Madbronine said:

I'm just going to post my case here for some additional info. 

Moon = Banned - genned mons [legal], max items [all types], pokemon dex complete, max money, edited trainer location and pokefinder.

Sun   = not banned - genned Mons [legal], 999x all medicine and item slot items and max money.

It seems Pokedex is the main culprit here.
My friends who have genned mons from me or themselves are not banned either.

The bans are save/game sync only and only restrict you from playing in battle spot, rating battles and global missions.
As far as I know the pkhex rules state that you shouldn't be playing battlespot etc with genned mons anyway, so this ban barely matters.

I think I deserve the ban but hey it was for science, I wanted to check if getting the shiny charm through the achievement of filling the pokedex was different from just adding it in.

My reason to believe that they got caught was probably making a tapu or any other shiny locked pokemon shiny and unlocking the dex entry.
Like I mentioned earlier only my save with full pokedex got banned. for example I edited my sun/moon demo greninja to be shiny on sun and it didn't get banned.

 

Thank you for the research. This has been the most helpful bit of information so far. I highly doubt having illegal Pokemon of any sort would trigger a ban, as (this was stated above), hacked Pokemon of all sorts can be transferred locally to the innocent. Modifications of trainer location, TID, SID, etc. after a game sync, invalid dex entries, and impossible item counts are the likely culprits. 

Honestly, I don't even believe that UNREASONABLE item counts would trigger a ban. As unlikely as it is that a player has max battle point, money, and max quantities of all items... it is possible. These bans have to be based on modifications to the SAVE DATA, and self-initiated.