A game-breaking Pokemon Go Battle League exploit is currently making the rounds, giving some players a significant leg up by permitting them to view the opponents' teams and techniques ahead of time.
Discord Bot Exploit
On September 13, a renowned Pokemon Go player disclosed a damaging Go Battle League exploit that enables players to see their adversary’s team and tactics before the match begins. This exploit is executed via a Discord bot, which sends a player a message as soon as their match starts, detailing what their opponent’s team looks like, thereby providing a huge advantage.
Revealing Game-Breaking Information
In a video presentation, the player demonstrates, in a private battle, that the bot provides information relevant to the opponent's entire team of Pokemon as well as their Combat Power (CP), Charged Attacks, and Fast Attacks as the match begins. The Go Battle League (GBL) is highly skill-based and competitive in nature, requiring trainers to prepare, foresee, and counter any strategies employed by opponents according to evolving trends.
However, this exploit negates the need for prediction by providing players with crucial insights on how best to compete against an opponent's team. Another downside to the exploit is that it is very difficult to detect from the player's end. It’s near impossible to differentiate a player using the exploit and a player who is simply exceptional at the game.
Unveiling the Discord Bot
A player known for his Pokemon Go content was approached by an anonymous individual revealing the Discord bot exploit. Subsequently, this bot was tested by the player within the confines of a controlled environment. While the exploit was confirmed, no additional information was given regarding the number of Discord servers being used or the extent of the problem at large.
To date, Niantic, the development team behind Pokemon Go, has yet to officially respond to the issue of this Go Battle League exploit.