Hacking has always been a major issue in Pokémon. Whether it’s players hacking to gain a competitive advantage, or people simply trying to profit off of trading hacked creatures, hacking is a big problem. As a response, players who alter game data in Pokémon Sword or Shield are getting bans.
How to avoid a ban in Pokémon Sword and Shield or Pokémon Home
While you should be safe if you never altered your game data, there is still a chance you’re at risk. You might have received one or more hacked Pokémon from trades. While most of these Pokémon should be safe (even if they are hacked), there are a few to keep an eye out for. According to Joe Merrick of Serebii, they are looking for currently unavailable shinies.
Basically they’re targeting currently unavailable shinies
— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) January 25, 2021
These are Pokémon that have shiny forms that people cannot get without hacking. Generally, Mythical or Legendary Pokémon like Eternatus that don’t have an obtainable in-game shiny variant yet. Here is a list of all unobtainable shiny Pokémon to look out for in your Pokémon Sword or Shield or Pokémon Home boxes:
- Galarian Articuno
- Galarian Zapdos
- Galarian Moltres
- Keldeo
- Cosmog
- Cosmoem
- Zacian
- Zamazenta
- Eternatus
- Kubfu
- Urshifu
- Glastrier
- Spectrier
- Calyrex
If you have any of these Pokémon and they are shiny, then it is a hack and you should release it. While you most likely will be fine having it, getting rid of it will eliminate any risk.
You shouldn’t have to worry about abusing mechanics for farming raids like changing the date or time. While these practices might be frowned on by some, they won’t alter the game data and therefore shouldn’t result in a ban.
If you want to be 100% safe, however, you should try to avoid abusing any mechanics. There are plenty of ways to get legitimate Pokémon for your collection and for competitive battling without trading and hacking. If you want to be extra careful, try to stick to them!
Published: Jan 25, 2021 04:00 pm