Overwatch looks to be a very competitive game. Coming from Blizzard, and fitting into the burgeoning class-based or hero shooter genre, the game is all about competition, balance, and fair play. However, as with any online game, there will be those who wish to circumvent the usual rules, using tools or other methods to cheat, and give themselves a clear advantage over their opponents. Now, Blizzard has laid out what will happen when these people get caught, and it isn’t pretty for the cheater.
“If a player is found to be cheating—or using hacks, bots, or third-party software that provides any sort of unfair advantage—that player will be permanently banned from the game. Full stop.” That comes from a post by Overwatch’s community manager, who then goes into greater detail about why the team has taken this very hard stance against cheating.
“Not only does cheating undermine the spirit of fair play that all of our products are based on, but it works to diminish the fun and enjoyment of others. While we are unlikely to publicly acknowledge when accounts are closed as a result of cheating or using unauthorized programs, we have and will continue to monitor Overwatch for exploitative behavior, as well as take action as needed to preserve the integrity of game.”
So, what do you do if you encounter a cheater online in Overwatch? There will be a method in the actual game for reporting possible cheaters, and Blizzard has setup a special email account you can send other reports to. Click here for the full rundown of how to report possible cheaters in Overwatch. Just keep in mind that this should be used for cases where there is a clear violation, and not just a player who dominates your team.
Overwatch hits PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 24th.
