Are Pokemon GO shadowbans permanent? Niantic answers the frequently asked question from players who want to know if Pokemon GO shadowbans, which prevent them from seeing rare Pokemon, may be rolled back.

On Twitter, Pokemon GO developer Niantic confirms that shadowbans may only be "temporary." Players who were initially shadowbanned and thus unable to see rare Pokemon due to their use of third-party tracking apps and software, may be unbanned as long as they comply with the Pokemon GO Terms of Service & Trainer guidelines. These guidelines prohibit the use of third-party apps and so once the player discontinues using these, they should be good to go.

Unfortunately for Niantic, this news has proved to be quite divisive. Many Pokemon GO players who have been shadowbanned for their use of third-party apps are glad that there is some way back for them. Frustratingly for these players, Niantic didn't provide an exact timeframe for how long the "temporary" ban could last but it's still positive. It means that shadowbanned players who change their ways may have their accounts restored in time for the rumored Pokemon GO legendary event.

But on the other hand, there are plenty of players against Niantic's temporary restriction confirmation too. GPS spoofing has been a problem with Pokemon GO since it launched last year and yet Niantic has struggled to combat that, with threats of permanent bans and updates to the game failing to produce noticeable results. Fans saw the shadowbanning announcement earlier this year as an example of the developer 'getting it right' and praised Niantic for it.

Although some developers of third-party apps (which use Pokemon GO accounts to collect their data) did just remake their accounts, for players using those apps for misdeeds, it was seen as a severe punishment and a useful deterrent for those who had considered using third-party apps too. The reveal that the bans may just be temporary for those who clean up their act is being seen as the developer going soft on those who knew they were doing wrong in the first place.

Additionally, the announcement is no help to those who feel that they've been shadowbanned for no reason. How can a wrongfully banned player stop using third-party apps if they were never using them in the first place? Niantic will likely continue to roll out changes to bans (as well as repealing bans for players who have reformed) alongside Pokemon GO events and new features for the game, so those upset about their bans should remain hopeful.

Pokemon GO is available for iOS and Android.