A bug in the hero shooter Overwatch results in many players being permanently excluded from the competitive game mode. We reveal what’s going on.
In a constantly changing game like Overwatch, small bugs occasionally sneak into the final patch. While most bugs only lead to minor, annoying situations, some bugs can cause really frustrating consequences for the players.
Since patch 1.15 (PC) and 2.19 (PS4, Xbox One), Blizzard has been enforcing harsher penalties for those who do not participate properly in the competitive game mode. Those who are inactive, frequently leave games, or stand out negatively will receive bans of increasing duration.
But this new system seems far from being fully developed! On Reddit, Chromega1231 reports a new bug that has already affected several players.
The bug appears to be triggered when someone leaves the queue for a competitive match at just the “right” moment, as the game pairs the players together. Overwatch then switches to the “Searching for Players” mode – which it shouldn’t actually do in a competitive game.
As a result, the match breaks off because not enough players are present. Shortly thereafter, the match starts again, searches for players, and is immediately closed again. This repeats several times.
Every “reload” is a disconnect
What is only learned afterward: Every time the game closes in these situations, the system apparently counts the occurrence as a forced disconnect and attributes a loss to the involved players. As losses accumulate, players lose a significant amount of skill rating. But it gets even worse! The “forced disconnects” also accumulate, signaling eventually: This player frequently leaves matches prematurely.
The result: You get completely banned for the current season of Overwatch.
Blizzard has yet to comment on this bug. Chromega lists several players in his thread who are suffering from this bug and have already lost significant skill rating or have been completely excluded from the game.
Do you know someone affected by this bug? Or have you been spared so far?
