Hello!
Yes, you can use it without Google API key. But it will be better for you – to create it for your map.
It is connected with the update of Google Maps APIs Standard Plan. Now it has certain restrictions.
Google Maps APIs Standard Plan updates implemented on June 22, 2016, are as follows:
1. We no longer support keyless access (any request that doesn’t include an API key). Future product updates are only available for requests made with an API key.
2. We have implemented a simple 25,000 map loads per day free limit for new Google Maps JavaScript API, Static Maps API, and Street View Image API implementations. The rolling 90-day grace period for existing applications is being retired on October 12, 2016.
3. We have reduced the maximum daily map load limit you can purchase for Google Maps JavaScript API, Static Maps API, and Street View Image API from 1,000,000 to 100,000 requests. Developers requiring higher quota should contact Sales to discuss a Premium Plan license.
4. We now count Google Maps JavaScript API client-side service requests towards the daily limit of the associated web service API.
Despite the fact we have already added Google API key for our Google Maps Easy plugin, since the large number of plugin users, we can simply exceed limits of map loads per day, therefore you may encounter with problem of displaying map. So to avoid this problem, we’ve added the option to use your own API key and released a new version of Google Maps Ease plugin. You can find more information in this article – http://supsystic.com/google-maps-api-key/
