(short: ENL, Agents colloquially also known as frogs), represented green within the Scanner were founded by Roland Jarvis, a sculptor and former member of the Niantic Project. The Enlightened favour progress and believe that the Exotic Matter (XM) could shape the future of humanity and allow it to reach its full potential.[1] They want to embrace the new possibilities that come with the Exotic Matter (XM) and think that they should be made available for everyone along with all knowledge. In their mind Exotic Matter (XM) is the path to epiphany, elevation and enlightenment.[2] While the Resistance is convinced the Shapers are here for their own purposes and want to protect humanity from the Shaper influence, the Enlightened believe that the Shapers have existed since the beginning of mankind and are the reason for mankind's progress from the Stone age into the modern era and that the Shapers are trying to help humanity evolve.
(short: RES, Agents colloquially also known as smurfs), represented blue within the Scanner, are lead by ADA (full name: A Detection Algorithm), an artificial intelligence developed by Niantic Project researchers to assist in their research of Exotic Matter (XM) but which became self-aware after being exposed to the latter. The Resistance favours stability and believes that the Exotic Matter (XM) is dangerous and should be contained[1] along with all knowledge. They are at best sceptical about the new possibilities that come with the Exotic Matter (XM). In their mind Exotic Matter (XM) is part of a 'hostile takeover of the mind' and they are the only thing standing in the way.[2] While the Enlightened are convinced that the Shapers have existed since the beginning of mankind and are the reason for mankind's progress from the Stone age into the modern era and that the Shapers are trying to help humanity evolve, the Resistance believes the Shapers are here for their own purposes and want to protect humanity from the Shaper influence.
Overall the Enlightened seek to use Exotic Matter (XM) to progress mankind along its evolutionary path through art, music, science, and education whereas the Resistance aims to keep Exotic Matter (XM) in lockdown and believe it should be studied to hopefully be utilised to help evolve mankind on its own terms, preventing the Shapers from fulfilling any unknown ulterior motives they may have.
Due to the difference in perspective over the Shapers and their motives, and the appropriate utilisation of Exotic Matter (XM), the Resistance and the Enlightened exist in a perpetual state of conflict on Earth.
Faction Change (FC) is an act of changing one's present faction to the opposite side.
There are three ways to change one's faction:
When an Agent reaches Level 16 (40M AP), they can request Recursion, with the possibility to change factions. This resets the Level to Level 1, but the Agent keeps their items.
Agents can request a Faction Change (FC) via a support ticket from Niantic; requests may not be approved if there is no sufficient justification. Unlike Recursion, all Agent's owned items and entities will be destroyed, and their inventory is cleared; the Agent will start again as Level 1 with 0 AP.[3] However, Agent's username, stats and badges remain.[4] Even though Niantic officially states that only one FC is allowed per Agent, there have been rare exceptions to this rule.
New Agents will be given the choice to switch their faction once they reach 40 000 AP. Switching faction at this point does not reset the Agent to Level 1 and they will keep all their items. This choice can only be made once, and if the Agent declines to change faction, they will need to Recurse or open a Support Ticket to change their faction after that.
and Resistance 
, who constantly fight each other for control over Portals and MU.
: The Enlightened seek harness the power of Exotic Matter to evolve mankind to a higher level.
: The Resistance seek to battle the forces that are attempting to use Exotic Matter to enslave humanity.