Pokémon GO players in Brazil are reporting that Egg Incubators, some item boxes, and certain paid passes are no longer available or usable in the game, following a recent Brazilian court ruling against loot box mechanics in games accessible to minors.
The change appears to be connected to Brazil’s wider crackdown on gambling-like mechanics in video games, after a children’s court in the Federal District ordered several major technology and gaming companies to pay a combined R$298 million, roughly US$59 million, in collective damages over loot boxes.
The companies named in reports include Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Ubisoft, Valve, Konami, and Tencent. The ruling found that loot boxes can expose children and teenagers to gambling-like mechanics through random rewards and repeat spending.
What changed in Pokémon GO?
Brazilian players have reported that Pokémon GO Incubators are no longer available in the same way they were before. Some players are also reporting that item boxes and paid GO passes containing Incubators or encounter-based rewards have disappeared from the shop.
At the time of writing, Scopely has not published a detailed public explanation for the Pokémon GO-specific changes. Because of that, this should be treated as a live regional change rather than a fully documented global policy update.
For players, the most important practical impact is simple: if your account is affected in Brazil, you may no longer be able to buy or use premium Incubators to hatch multiple Eggs at once.
Why would Incubators be affected?
Honestly, Pokémon GO’s Eggs have long existed in a grey area of loot box discussions. Players do not directly buy Eggs, and every account has access to a free infinite-use Incubator.
However, paid Incubators allow players to hatch more Eggs faster, and the Pokémon that hatches is random.
Eggs can also contain rare Pokémon, event Pokémon, regional Pokémon, and shiny-eligible Pokémon, which makes the system very similar to a paid randomized reward mechanic in the eyes of some regulators and players.
That is likely why Incubators are being treated differently from ordinary shop items such as storage upgrades or guaranteed item bundles.
Does this mean Pokémon GO Eggs are officially loot boxes?
Definitely not globally, and not in every legal system. Different countries treat randomized game rewards differently. Some regulators focus on whether the player pays directly for the random reward. Others focus on whether real money can be used to speed up or increase access to randomized rewards.
In Pokémon GO’s case, the debate is complicated because Eggs are obtained through gameplay, but paid Incubators increase the number of random hatches a player can process. Brazil’s approach appears to be stricter, especially when minors are involved.
What the Brazil loot box ruling said
The Brazilian court ruling targeted loot boxes that were accessible to minors. According to reports, the court compared these mechanics to gambling because players pay for a chance-based reward without knowing exactly what they will receive.
The ruling ordered companies to pay collective damages and implement stronger protections, including clearer warnings, probability disclosure, age verification, and refund systems for purchases made by minors without parental consent.
The money from the collective damages is expected to go to a public fund for the rights of children and adolescents. Individual children and teenagers who purchased or accessed loot boxes may also be able to pursue separate compensation later.
What happens next?
The Brazil loot box ruling can still be appealed, and the situation may change. Companies may choose to add stronger age checks, disclose more probabilities, remove certain reward mechanics, or adjust shop bundles in Brazil.
For Pokémon GO, the most likely next step is either a regional shop adjustment or a compliance update that separates Incubators and randomized rewards from paid products accessible to minors.
Until Scopely comments directly, Brazilian players should treat the current restrictions as an ongoing regional compliance change rather than a permanent final state.
We do hope Scopely addresses this soon.
