These Are Overwatch's Banned Usernames
By Maxwell Jeffery 05 November 2016
Blizzard once again shows its willingness to use the ban-hammer, as the company permanently locks out nearly 1,700 Overwatch accounts for using cheating software.
There’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that Blizzard’s new first-person shooter Overwatch is one of the biggest, most popular games of the year, but the player count has just fallen by almost 1,700 as the developer once again wields the mighty ban-hammer.
The Chinese branch of Blizzard Entertainment is well-known for its stance on cheating, having previously permanently banned over 1,500 players due to their use of foreign software alongside the title. This latest batch of ex-Overwatch players were also all named, as the company added their BattleTags to their Wall of Shame, revealing that many cheaters choose the best in-game IDs.
Among the banned players were such names as: ‘The world could always use more butts’, ‘It’s High N-ughhhh’, and ‘Ugly guy with thick lip and smelly feet’. Translations were provided for the Chinese characters, courtesy of Reddit user _CRISPR, who claims they found the list while looking for more news on the mysterious new hero, Sombra. ‘Killing you makes me tired’ is now finally at rest as their account has joined the graveyard of banned users, as has ‘I hope there’s no Reaper in Heaven’, who can now find out for themselves whether or not there truly is a Reaper in the afterlife.
Several accounts boast of their in-game skills (‘Group with me i’m super good as Hanzo’, ‘My main account is at Top 500’) while others are bold or perhaps foolish enough to admit to using cheating software (‘Aimbot and Wallhack, deal with me’). The full list can be found here, and is worth a look to those who have the patience and skill to translate for themselves.
What the bragging accounts might not realise is that Blizzard is reportedly able to scan Overwatch players’ PCs using its anti-cheat software, meaning that just owning the programs could spell the end of any and all accounts that the cheater has in their possession. According to many players, the developer does not allow the player to get around the ban in any way, with re-purchasing the game just leading to a second ban on the new ID.
It’s a harsh punishment, but it helps keep Overwatch free from those who would give themselves an advantage in the game’s competitive gamemode, and keeps enjoyment of all players at a high. Most players that considered giving themselves an in-game advantage are most likely put off for good by now, though we’ll no doubt see further updates to the Wall of Shame as time goes on.
Overwatch is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
