Pokemon Go Data Leak Raises Major Red Flags But Devs Are Reassuring Players

Update:

We have since received a statement from Niantic, which you can read below. We have also adjusted the article to reflect on the comments provided.

We will not be bringing intrusive ads to Pokémon GO, not now, not ever. We recently upgraded a third-party library in Pokémon GO which introduced code that added a written list of common ad networks – but not the ad frameworks themselves. This is standard industry practice, but in no way reflects any plans to change how the Pokémon GO team approaches advertising. – Mark Van Lommel, Communications Director at Niantic

Pokemon Go was such a massive hit when it was first released. Everyone was on their mobile phones, going about their day outside, seeking Pokemon to capture. It’s still a game that players enjoy heavily today. However, things got a little worrisome for players when it was unveiled that developer Scopely had acquired the game from Niantic. Now, a new leak might have made some fans reluctantly ready to abandon the game, however the communications director at Niantic hopes to clear the air.

It’s always frustrating to see games flourish, and then a few bad decisions or even an acquisition completely ruin the experience. A recent datamine might have suggested that new ads are coming to the game soon. Again, this doesn’t mean there will be changes, but here is what was recently uncovered.

Thanks to Comicbook, we’re finding out that The Pokemod Group on X datamine revealed that several ad networks were brought to the game. That had some fans assuming the developers will make some drastic changes.

This leak comes after the recent comments made by Niantic’s product director for Pokemon Go. Earlier this month, Michael Steranka stated that there are no plans to build on the game with any type of obtrusive ads that would prevent players from enjoying the game at their leisure. At the time, this might have reassured some fans that the new owners were keeping the game as is.

Again, since this datamine discovery came about online, a spokesperson for Pokemon Go reached out and provided a statement. Hopefully, this will reassure players that they won’t have ads popping up in the game as they play.

We will not be bringing intrusive ads to Pokémon GO, not now, not ever. We recently upgraded a third-party library in Pokémon GO which introduced code that added a written list of common ad networks – but not the ad frameworks themselves. This is standard industry practice, but in no way reflects any plans to change how the Pokémon GO team approaches advertising. – Mark Van Lommel, Communications Director at Niantic