Blizzard tracks down rule-breaking Overwatch players via YouTube, among others

Blizzard proactively tracks down rule-breaking Overwatch players via social media such as YouTube and sometimes imposes sanctions before the player in question is reported by other players via the in-game system.

Overwatch lead developer Jeff Kaplan gives this inside look in the game’s 37th Developer Update, the video of which can be viewed on YouTube. He only gives YouTube as an example and otherwise only speaks of social media. Blizzard’s code of conduct prohibits the obvious things like cheating, threatening, discriminating and insulting, via voice or text.

Furthermore, Kaplan reports that the console versions of Overwatch have recently also included the option to report other players to Blizzard for cross-border behavior. In addition, players who report a report from another player will now receive feedback if Blizzard has acted on the report. In addition, offending players now receive a warning before they are actually sanctioned. Players can get temporary and permanent bans, but being silenced is also a possibility.

According to Kaplan, as a result of the measures, the amount of abusive chat has recently fallen by 17 percent and the amount of reports has increased by 20 percent, which he says shows more confidence in the system. However, he emphasizes that these figures still need to be improved. In October 2017, Overwatch had 35 million registered players, meaning Blizzard also has a lot of work to do.

The exact part of the video where Kaplan discusses the measures