Overwatch Cheaters Will Be Banned
By Maxwell Jeffery 26 April 2016
Cheating in a Blizzard game is as risky as ever, with a recent post from the developers stating that anyone who does so in Overwatch will be permanently banned.
If fans experienced any suspicious activity in the highly-successful recent beta for Blizzard’s upcoming shooter Overwatch, they can rest easy knowing that the company will be coming down hard on any accounts that are proven to be cheating. In a recent forum post, Blizzard Entertainment’s Community Manager Lylirra stated that the company is taking cheating very seriously in Overwatch, as is the case with all of the developer’s games.
The manager writes that “play nice; play fair” is one of Blizzard’s core values and is something that it has taken to heart with both designing the game, and supporting Overwatch and its players post-launch. Because of this, the punishment for altering your multiplayer experience is extremely severe, with Lylirra stating:
“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. 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.”
In order to preserve the integrity of the game, the company will be keeping a close eye on Overwatch to monitor exploitative behaviour, which is extremely important given the title’s competitive gameplay. Lylirra notes that the accounts that are banned from playing are unlikely to be announced publicly to the game’s community, though fans can help point out suspected cheaters by contacting [email protected]
If someone believes a player is cheating, or if anybody has information about hacks, bots, or unauthorized third-party software being used, Blizzard requests for fans to email its developers and in order for the issue to be investigated further. However, players should also bear in mind that the in-game camera system does not always play back footage at the same fidelity as real-time gameplay, resulting in a player’s aim appearing more snappy than it actually was.
Overwatch fans must also take into account that undiscovered bugs to the in-game camera system, or just to the shooter in general, may occur before reporting another player. Blizzard takes care to point out that some players are just extremely talented when it comes to first-person shooters which is something that people should be wary of before emailing. Video evidence of cheating will be accepted and is very helpful, though the company will never use it alone to decide on when to drop the ban-hammer.
Now that the beta is over, all we can do is wait until the full game’s release. In the meantime, Blizzard will be faced with fully optimizing the game, ensuring that it’s 100% ready after its extensive beta testing periods. The company will also have to decide on whether certain heroes need adjustments, especially due to a large amount of player feedback naming defence hero Bastion as being overpowered.
Overwatch is set to release for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 24, 2016.
Source: Battle.net (via GameSpot)
