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A new message to players has appeared in the notification center of the popular mobile game Pokemon TCG Pocket to say the developer will begin to take action against players with offensive usernames that “are currently causing discomfort to other users.”
“In accordance with the Terms of Use, we will change player names of the accounts in question and will warn them, suspend their accounts, or take other action,” the statement reads.
“We will continue to strive to provide an environment where everyone can safely and comfortably enjoy their experience. We hope you continue to enjoy Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.”
Inappropriate Pokemon TCG Pocket names are widespread
There are many posts on the game’s Subreddit about inappropriate Pokemon TCG Pocket names, ranging from the names of dictators or serial killers to straight-up slurs and names which imply the sexual abuse of minors.
The situation is made worse by the fact that there is no obvious way to report a player with an inappropriate name from within the app. If there was a menu option inside the battle screen to ping a report to the developers, the problem would be less concerning. However, players have to go out of their way to the Pokemon official website and submit a support request.
This is a surprise to many Pokemon fans because Nintendo is usually very strict with their naming limitations. For example, if you enjoyed the game’s first solo battle event and want to make a deck with your rewards, you can’t name that deck “Lapras Ex” because “s EX” gets filtered out automatically.
Hopefully, the developers will get this spate of offensive names under control, but in the meantime, the game’s second solo battle event (Vesasaur-themed) just launched, and you won’t have to play against other people to reap the rewards that await you.
Featured image credit: The Pokemon Company
