Only a few words can lead to account suspension in Overwatch 2. It’s incomprehensible how some think and wonder why certain words can be hidden.
Even though there is a lot of criticism surrounding Overwatch 2, at least one thing seems to be taken very seriously by the developers: The punishments for players who do not adhere to the rules and throw around insults or slurs.
If someone is reported in Overwatch 2, they quickly lose their recognition levels and soon after, face a temporary account suspension that grows more severe. However, some do not see what they did wrong. After all, the game does have a profanity filter.
What is currently being discussed? On the Overwatch subreddit and on Twitter/X, several account suspensions are being discussed. Some find themselves suddenly banned and cannot explain why. Some do not understand why they received a suspension. They have tried multiple times to discuss the ban with Blizzard, but only received automated responses.
On Twitter/X, Blizzard commented on one case:
[The ban] was upheld, [automated] templates are all you get then. Such requests are not for discussions. In this case – profanity. F-bombs in any form are not accepted.
“F-bomb” refers to the expression “Fuck,” also with slightly different spellings.
Profanity filter is not a free pass: Some find it incomprehensible that small profane words like “Fuck” or “Shit” can lead to such consequences. Especially since there is an optional profanity filter in the game. Those who activate this will not see many words in the chat.
From this, some deduce: “If there is a profanity filter, that means I can curse. Because if you don’t want to read it, you can activate the filter.”
A fallacy, as Blizzard states in several instances:
No, the filter is for those who want to use it, but profanity has never been allowed in our games. If they are reported, they are grounds for sanctions.
Or to put it another way: Just because some players do not want to come into contact with profanity and can hide it, does not mean they have permission to use those words.
Why are the heroes allowed to curse? Another argument that some bring up is the fact that there are certain curses or profanities in Overwatch 2 itself. For instance, Genji often curses with a “Damn” and Cassidy prominently has “BAMF” on his belt – which stands for “Bad-Ass Motherfucker” – a phrase that could be kindly translated to Devil’s Guy
in German. Other heroes also occasionally use lighter curses or insults.
However, many point out that this comparison is a bit flawed. There is indeed a difference between characters using profanities within a fictional universe and whether these occur in interaction with players.
The basic rule is simple: Do not throw insults or profanities around in the online space, and there will be no punishment for that.
What do you think of this rigorous enforcement of the rules? Is it good and right? Or is Blizzard too strict?
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