If a report in Overwatch leads to a ban, players are now informed. Does the new system bring redemption?
One of the biggest problems with Overwatch is the toxic community. During the beta and at launch, players praised how friendly everyone was, but that changed at the latest with the introduction of the competitive game mode.
Since then, Overwatch has become a battleground for “your mom” jokes, and in almost every match, you can find an “expert” who has no desire to participate in the actual game and either does not engage in the battle at all or becomes abusive in the chat.
This toxicity harms the enjoyment of Overwatch. Blizzard recognized this a few months ago and announced improvements to the reporting system.
Those who report in Overwatch receive feedback
Now it is finally happening! Together with the Winter Wonderland patch that will be released today on 12/12/2017, there is a new feature. If a player is reported and the report subsequently leads to a sanction of the account (such as a temporary or permanent ban), then all who reported the respective player will receive a notice about it. If an account is punished, a message will appear stating that sanctions have been imposed due to reporting.
Thus, Blizzard hopes to restore lost trust in the reporting system.
At the same time, players who have been reported frequently and are on the verge of receiving a punishment will get a final warning. If they receive any further reports afterward, the punishment will take effect – depending on the severity of the offense, a ban from chat, a temporary suspension from the game, or even account closure.
Cortyn says: I think it’s sensible that reporting players now brings clear feedback when a sanction is imposed. However, I find it baffling that toxic players need to be warned just before they receive a punishment. In my opinion, this will only lead to players restraining themselves for a few days until the reports expire (if they do) and then starting over again. I would prefer a direct punishment.
What do you think of the new feature? Is it good that you now receive clear feedback about sanctions? Or does it not concern anyone?
