To face easier opponents in Overwatch , some players intentionally lose – but Blizzard is putting a stop to that.
In online games, there are plenty of behaviors that can really annoy other players. This starts with teabagging, goes through bad behavior in chat, and has yet to fully test the limits of creativity.
Many players of Overwatch who have achieved a high skill rating intentionally lose some matches to lower their skill rating. The consequence is that the “good” player is assessed as worse and subsequently plays against significantly weaker teams that they can easily steamroll.
While it is definitely forbidden to intentionally troll your team members when they are “randoms”, one user wanted to know what happens when an entire team of 6 people decides to simply lose without a fight. After all, theoretically, no one gets hurt unwillingly in that scenario.
Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch, addressed this directly in the official forum:
“We are strongly against this behavior and are currently working on guidelines to detect and sanction such behavior. Even if you are playing in a team of 6 people, intentionally losing to drop in skill rating is not acceptable.”
“For now, please use the reporting system and select ‘Griefing/Inactivity’ to report this behavior (the reporting system will soon be available on consoles as well).”
This clarifies the stances on this issue. Those who intentionally lose, whether in a team of like-minded individuals or alone, hinder the enjoyment of all other players. Therefore, anyone who does not want to face account penalties should always give their best – or at least not get caught doing otherwise.
Soon, Overwatch will also make a splash with more story content.
