"Still the best way to play": Pokemon GO community discusses tanking in PvP

The concept of "tanking" was present long before Pokemon GO, but that doesn't mean that trainers aren't currently taking advantage of it. Tanking essentially means losing intentionally in order to lower your overall ranking before stringing a long sequence of victories on more inexperienced opponents.

In a recent post on Pokemon GO's subreddit by user Uunikana, the player shared a meme to remind players that tanking is still the best way to receive rewards, "unless you like the gameplay of PvP."

Considering that sequential losses (intentional or not) lower your matchmaking ranking, it isn't uncommon for a player who tanks to receive a large number of rewards through win streaks on lower-ranked opponents.

This fan's Reddit post garnered some fairly disparate opinions from the Pokemon GO community, as some feel that tanking is a cheap move and antithetical to the spirit of the game.

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Pokemon GO's Reddit community reacts to the pro-tanking PvP post

Much like in professional sports and esports, tanking is a controversial topic. Many players well outside the bounds of Pokemon GO have spoken against this concept, believing that it spoils the balance of competition.

The same appears to be true for the popular mobile game, with many players remarking that tanking just for the sake of rewards is dishonest and an affront to players who strive to compete and improve in PvP.

While there was plenty of pushback on tanking in Pokemon GO PvP, many players still believe in it since they do it for rewards. In GO's Battle League, winning streaks lead to considerable rewards that include Stardust, Rare Candies, and Pokemon encounters.

As this is the case (and because many players are dissatisfied with the current state of the game's PvP meta), many players don't feel particularly bad about losing intentionally so that they can defeat weaker opponents and reap winstreak rewards.

While the tanking debate in Pokemon GO is likely to continue well into the game's lifespan, the fact of the matter is that it's not considered illegal or cheating, according to Niantic. It would also be incredibly difficult to police as the difference between intentionally throwing a match and disconnecting due to external factors is difficult to discern.

As mentioned by some commenters, Niantic could possibly rework the way that PvP rewards are obtained to deter tanking, but this could result in backlash as well. Whenever a competitive meta develops, tanking becomes a fact of life within it. Gamers have seen this time and time again in other multiplayer titles alongside other behaviors such as 'smurfing' and 'boosting.'

Be that as it may, it isn't exactly considered cheating, or at least hasn't been stated to be by Niantic. Due to this, tanking players will likely be part of the competitive PvP scene for quite some time.

Pokemon GO's PvP seasons have already passed the double-digit mark, and Niantic has made no indication that they intend to implement changes to deter tanking behavior. Some trainers choose to use it to obtain rewards, while others prefer to grind it out and try to secure their wins in the old-fashioned way.

Regardless of which side you fall on in the debate, it appears that tanking is here to stay in competitive PvP.