Overwatch has released an official list that exposes the misconduct of professionals in the Overwatch League. This list is accessible to everyone.
This is the situation: Since Friday, December 21, 2018, the official website of the Overwatch League has featured the “Player Discipline Tracker” as a new feature. This lists players in the league who have violated the rules of the Overwatch League.
Next to their names, the reason for their penalty and the type of punishment, such as the length of the suspension, are displayed. Already before the second season of the Overwatch League, seven players received penalties that will take effect at the start of the season on February 14.
The List of Bad Boys
Who will be denounced? What slightly resembles Santa Claus’s list, where Krampus reads his victims, is an enumeration of rule breakers. The Code of Conduct of the Overwatch League has been known and binding for the professionals for some time.
Blizzard writes in the opening post:
When a player joins the Overwatch League, the league reviews a complete report of their behavior and takes action if necessary. While the league considers each case individually, key factors in determining penalties include both the severity and the timeliness of the case. During the season, the league will continue to evaluate cases and, if necessary, penalize.
The currently viewable cases only relate to players in the league who are contracted to one of the teams.
This approach is not new in sports. The International Tennis Federation and the Unlimited Fighting Championship have been maintaining similar lists according to Kotaku for some time. Overwatch is merely the first eSports to adopt this method.
Why it is necessary: In the first season of the Overwatch League, many professionals exhibited misconduct frequently. Particularly, player Félix “xQc” Lengyel from Dallas Fuel was penalized several times.
Ultimately, Dallas Fuel parted ways with him. His case has led fans to demand more insight into the Code of Conduct and penalties, resulting in Blizzard publishing the code.
By exposing the misconduct of the professionals and their penalties, they are essentially put on public display. This could effectively deter future misbehavior.
What do you think of this approach? For more info and news about the game, also visit our Overwatch page on Facebook.
Doping also seems to be a problem in the league. One professional says many players in the Overwatch League are on Adderall.
