One of the reasons why many “Overwatch” players decided to quit the popular first-person shooter game is because of toxicity among players. The frustrations range from griefers, cheaters, and throwers to name a few. Blizzard announced its intensified reporting and penalty system several weeks ago The developer promised to punish players who are not on their best behaviors when playing.
Game Director Jeff Kaplan recently revealed that Blizzard has carried out some disciplinary measures to a number of toxic players in the game. The figure is staggering and seems to indicate that there was rampant abuse taking place.
Developer update
On September 13, Blizzard shared the latest Developer Update of the game on the official YouTube channel of “Overwatch” Jeff Kaplan said that there are more than 480,000 accounts that have been disciplined since the game was launched. According to the director, more than 340,000 accounts were punished through the reporting system implemented in the popular first-person title.
While there is a prevailing misconception in the community that Blizzard is not doing anything against reported players, the latest revelation from the director proves otherwise.
Kaplan admitted in the video that the reporting system of the game is far from perfect. He added that the team is still adjusting the most recent feature. Some players claim to have received emails from the developer acknowledging their reports and giving them feedback on its progress. This move is very helpful as letting players know their complaints are received and investigated will encourage players to report in-game abusive behavior.
Reporting system
The game director also noted that resolving the issue will not happen overnight.
He claimed that the process is going to be continuous. Kaplan assured players, however, that they are committed to fixing and improving the system. In addition, the director shared that Blizzard is constantly tweaking the gravity of the punishments. He emphasized that Blizzard will not allow players who are creating problems to play their game.
Aside from the Reporting System, Kaplan also suggested that players evaluate their own behavior when playing. The director also encouraged players to work together to lessen, if not to remove, the toxicity in the game. He asked players to have fun and encourage others to do the same.
Meanwhile, Blizzard recently released the new Comic titled "Wasted Land." The latest issue centers on the Australian Junker, Roadhog and his budding friendship with another junker - Junkrat. The Comic is set in the post-apocalyptic Australian Outback called Junkertown. The escort map is scheduled to arrive on “Overwatch” live servers September 19.