Do you like playing heroes in Overwatch 2 that nobody else likes? Then you should be careful – because this could lead to penalties.
Overwatch 2 is quite an intense game, and it often happens that everyone on the team seems to know better how one could play more effectively. Currently, it also happens more often that players report their team members through the “Report” system – often rightfully, but frequently also just for the wrong reasons.
A player recently showed in the subreddit what his “reward” for playing Doomfist is – and that is the threat of an account penalty.
Who gets punished for playing? The Reddit user “invadedbydarkspirit” posted a screenshot showing his login screen from Overwatch 2. There, he receives a warning because “his behavior is not appropriate compared to most other Overwatch players.” He has been reported multiple times for allegedly being inactive or sabotaging the gameplay. If he doesn’t change his behavior, further reports could lead to his account being restricted or even completely closed.
Marked as “humor,” invadedbydarkspirit titled the image “My loot for a win rate of 60% with Doomfist in over 50 games while not talking on voice or switching heroes.”
This alludes to the fact that Overwatch is extremely stingy with rewards, but also that other players very often report someone just because they don’t like their playstyle or the chosen hero.
On the other hand, with “loot,” it is of course meant that he evidently received a lot of reports from teammates because he allegedly sabotaged the game – even though he plays a tank quite successfully.
Community has a lot of understanding: Even though the truth of the “60% win rate” is hard to verify, the story sounds plausible and receives a lot of support. Many seem to feel that they get attacked when they play their current favorite hero.
There is a lot of agreement in the subreddit – the post has garnered a solid 23,000 upvotes, a huge amount for this subreddit. Some voices from the post:
- “I wonder how long it will take until people get reported for not switching heroes that they don’t even own.”
- “That was probably every time you lost. Doomfist is currently in a really bad position. I’m impressed that you have a 60% win rate with him, you must be really good! I wouldn’t report that, but whenever I see a Doomfist on the team, I always think it will be tough to win with that.”
- “My ex reports every single player in the lobby when she loses. She just can’t stand losing, and that’s one of her coping mechanisms. You probably encounter people like her more often, I’m sorry. That’s so damn stupid.”
- “This nonsense is the reason why automated reporting systems should never be used. I’ve never seen an automated reporting system work the way it was intended. They are always abused.”
“Meta” dictates which hero is expected: The impression that only certain heroes can fill specific roles is often shaped by the playstyles of the pros. Just a few weeks ago, we reported that the best tank players in the USA all have Zarya in their “Top 3” tanks. At the same time, in the Overwatch League, Winston was the only tank seen in almost every match over the past two weeks.
Finally, Doomfist is already on the developers’ list for possible buffs – he is considered too weak.
All this probably contributes to some players believing that a Doomfist is just “trolling” and that one should report him simply for choosing that hero.
Can you get reported for the “wrong hero”? In principle, no. If you want to report another player for “gameplay sabotage,” it explicitly states there that “unwillingness to switch heroes” is not a reason to report someone.
Just because you think that another hero can currently fill a role better does not justify reporting that player.
So if you believe that a Doomfist is not suited as a defensive tank or that a Torbjörn has no place in attack, you should hold back on your reports. Because those who falsely report other players multiple times can ultimately face a penalty themselves.
Interestingly, the same discussion already occurred back in Overwatch 1. There, players who simply liked to play Torbjörn were often reported.
