‘Pokémon Go’ creators sue ‘hackers’ over illegal knockoffs

Gotta catch ’em all —without getting caught.

Niantic, the software development company behind “Pokémon Go” and upcoming “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite,” is suing a group it claims has created knockoff versions of the games.

In the suit, Niantic accuses Global++ of being an “association of hackers,” which distributes altered versions of the games that give players an advantage, Business Insider first reported.

Side-by-side screen captures of the interfaces for Pokémon Go and Global++’s PokeGo++ included in the suit are nearly identical.

The suit names three of the group’s alleged leaders and 20 other members, accusing them of developing and promoting illegal versions of the apps — and making the originals less fun.

“Among other things, defendants’ schemes undermine the integrity of the gaming experience for legitimate players, diminishing enthusiasm for Niantic’s games and, in some cases, driving players away from Niantic’s games altogether. Defendants’ schemes therefore damage Niantic’s reputation and goodwill and interfere with Niantic’s business,” the legal complaint reads.

After news broke of the suit, Global++ took down its website.

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