Pokémon Pokopia griefers are blowing up players' special endgame creations designed to unlock Legendary Pokémon, fans say.
Video evidence of an attack by this gang, which has been likened to the franchise's nefarious Team Rocket, shows a group of hoodlums using Electrode cannons to bomb a player's most valuable structures.
Posted on social media by Pokémon Pokopia fan MKRfinal, the video sees the player panic as they discover their Abandoned Power Plant structure (linked to the Legendary bird Pokémon Zapdos) being reduced to rubble. The player quickly attempts to put up walls to stop the attack, but it looks to be too late. After that, they discover their Altar of Fire has met a similar fate, impacting their ability to encounter another Legendary bird, Moltres.
【⚠️指名手配⚠️】
— M.K.R (@mkrfinal) March 12, 2026
ぽこあ荒らし団（通称 ボマー💥）
巷で噂のぽこあポケモン荒らし集団に襲撃されました💦
彼らは有料メンバー限定のサーバーに入り込んで、2度と建築出来ない『三鳥の祠』を破壊してきます🔥
皆さんは取り返しのつかない『三鳥の祠』の建築場所はよく考えてから行ってください✨ pic.twitter.com/t47SyGf0fG
The footage includes live reaction from the player as they respond in Japanese — and it's clear they're pretty upset by the damage caused. Reaction to the post is mostly sympathetic, though some fans admitted to finding the whole thing hilarious.
"[WANTED] Pokopia Griefing Group (aka Bombers)," MKRfinal wrote, in the style of a classic Wanted poster. "We were attacked by the notorious Pokopia Pokémon griefing gang that's making waves in the community. They infiltrate servers exclusive to paid members and destroy the 'Three Bird Shrine' so it can never be built again. Everyone, please think carefully before heading to a build spot for the irrecoverable 'Three Bird Shrine'."
While you can try and rebuild these structures, players say the time and resources this would take is hardly worth the effort. While some have suggested the whole thing is a skit, others have noted that it is worth keeping a close eye on who visits your Cloud Island — especially if they get their Electrode cannons out.
It's worth noting that you can manually save a Cloud Island backup — so if you have built anything important, this is highly recommended. If you haven't done so, however, there's no other way to revert to an earlier save file, as the game quietly autosaves as you go along. If you're keen to keep your multiplayer area safe, there's also an option in Pokopia's settings to ensure other players' actions aren't saved — by setting the version available to them as "Virtual", which means that any changes they make are kept to the local version they play.
Looking to join in the fun for yourself? IGN's Pokémon Pokopia review returned a 9/10 score, and dubbed the game as "an enjoyable building and town simulator that capitalizes on the charming personalities of its monsters in a way that appeals to both the creative and collector alike."
If you're already playing, be sure to check out our list of all the Pokémon in Pokopia, and take a look at our Things to Do First in Pokopia guide to make the most of your first few days. To help you get started, we've also got a list of 17 things that Pokopia doesn't tell you, plus How to Raise the Environment Level and How to Raise Pokémon Comfort Level.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
