A few days ago, Overwatch chief Jeff Kaplan requested that the report system be used more extensively to improve it. Streamer xQc did just that – and was subsequently banned himself.
The Game Director of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, recently wrote a lengthy post in the Overwatch forums. In this, he calls on players to use and trust the report function of the game. Only then can it be improved further.
Trust in the system! Or not..?
In theory, this tool is a good thing: A player disrupts the game and violates the rules, so he gets kicked out. However, there have been some drawbacks that have become more apparent lately.
Since this post was published, there have been continuous new problems with the report system. For example, a rumor circulated that players who only play one hero were banned for that (so-called “One-Trick-Ponies”, or OTPs).
In a specific case, a player who only played Torbjörn was banned. The actual reason was that he refused to play other heroes – so strictly that he did nothing at all when he couldn’t choose the Swede.
Streamer banned live!
The Overwatch streamer and Top 500 Winston player Félix “xQt” Lengyel seems to have taken a cue from this case. In his stream, he reported an OTP for precisely these reasons. However, he was probably a bit overzealous.
Even before the game started, he filled out several complaints against the player. He had played against him before and thus knew about his behavior. He used every possible category; even “Cheating”.
Blizzard didn’t seem to like that, nor were they interested in the reasons: In the middle of the match, xQt was kicked from the game with the message that his account was banned for 72 hours.
Update 19:11 13:15: It is now known that the streamer’s ban was indeed the result of the reports. However, it seems to have been because he used obscenities in his reports. He apologized for his outbursts in a tweet last night.
Blizzard’s opaque policy
The streamer is not an isolated case. Top 500 Symmetra player “stevo” was banned because he allegedly never switched heroes, but played Symmetra. His community disputes this, yet the ban was still enforced.
Such bans are particularly problematic for people who make money with Overwatch. Streamers and professionals rely on their accounts. They play to win and to improve, which is why they often focus on one hero.
Did the streamer go overboard with the reporting here, and is Blizzard’s measure justified? Or are you against such snitch bans?
