Blizzard has known as on Overwatch 2 gamers to cease placing their teammates down.
In a weblog publish detailing the work the studio has executed to fight cheaters and disruptive gamers, Blizzard known as on the Overwatch neighborhood to make use of positivity in-game.
“Whereas we won’t management how every of you communicates with one another, we will inform you that it issues in relation to performing effectively in your video games,” Blizzard mentioned.
“Our knowledge reveals that gamers not often win once they begin to assault their teammates.
“We are able to perceive the frustration when a teammate might not carry out effectively or play a hero that is not successfully contributing to the match. Whereas it is all the time a good suggestion to encourage concepts and techniques together with your teammates, it isn’t efficient to place them down.
“The one constant think about each match you play will all the time be your self, so all the time keep in mind to consider how one can positively contribute to the match, discovering methods to show disadvantages into game-winning methods.
“It might not essentially work each match, however you may all the time have one thing to achieve whenever you do.”
Blizzard’s message is one we have seen earlier than from builders of team-based aggressive multiplayer video games, and the problem of poisonous chat amongst teammates is as previous because the style itself.
Blizzard mentioned reporting stays the best method to fight dishonest and poisonous behaviour in Overwatch 2, but it surely additionally makes use of machine-learning algorithms to transcribe and establish disruptive voice chat in-game.
“These efforts proceed to achieve success not solely in figuring out disruptive chat, however encouraging gamers who’re actioned to alter their behaviour for the higher,” Blizzard mentioned.
“In lots of instances, gamers do not realise how they impart to their teammates might be disruptive and instantly appropriate their behaviour after receiving a warning. General, we’re proud of the outcomes of this new tech, and we’ll be deploying to extra areas and languages within the months forward.”
One fascinating associated challenge in Overwatch 2 has to do with the current launch of latest assist hero Lifeweaver, who enters aggressive play subsequent week.
Blizzard warned gamers to not use Lifeweaver’s Life Grip skill to deliberately pull allies into pitfalls, and mentioned it is conserving a detailed eye to ensure his skills aren’t used to grief teammates. Once more, reporting is the best choice right here.
Nonetheless, Blizzard acknowledged Lifeweaver gamers might unintentionally grief their teammates as they get used to the character’s package.
“Making a mistake is not the identical as deliberately sabotaging a teammate, and we hope that everybody might be affected person and sort whereas Lifeweaver continues to develop amongst our neighborhood,” Blizzard mentioned.
Elsewhere, Blizzard mentioned it is penalised over 100,000 accounts worldwide it discovered to be utilizing cheats resembling aimbots and wallhacks. Most of those accounts had been completely banned. Blizzard typically bans as much as 5000 accounts every week, it mentioned.