Get ready heroes! It’s time to mech up for another Defense Matrix update, where we take the time to update on our progress to make Overwatch 2 a fair and friendly game. Defense Matrix helps foster our community that fights for a better future, in the game and beyond. For the game, this means working to stop dishonest players who seek to ruin the experience for others by cheating, using unapproved peripherals and software, or choosing to be disruptive in game.
As always, the Defense Matrix Team follows two key principles that help us guide our game-changing decisions: Fair is Fun and Foster a Safe and Inclusive Social Experience. So, let’s dive into what we are doing as we work toward these goals, how you can help, and what you can expect from us in the months ahead.
Stopping the Hacks in Their Tracks
Cheat software, also known as hacks, is third-party software that aims to read and process information from our game and provide automation or exploitive information to a dishonest player to gain an upper hand. Using such software is not only unfair for other players, but it is strictly against the Blizzard In-Game Code of Conduct and our Battle.net EULA. Those caught using hacks such as aimbots, spinbots, or wall hacks can expect their accounts to be permanently banned.
We have banned 800,000 accounts since the launch of Overwatch 2, and we’ll continue to do so. Cheating compromises the competitive integrity of our matches and ruins the experience and opportunity for those testing their skills. So, our efforts to fight against these types of unapproved software and the players who would use them are always an objective for our team.
We know you are all asking where we can step up more to cut down on hacks and the cheaters who use them. One approach is to develop tech that can effectively block hacks from working properly and making them easier to detect. As always, we won’t go into details, but from efforts over the past year, we already stopped multiple hacks. As we progress into the new year, we’ll be turning our attention to identifying players who cheat faster, and work to remove them from having significant impact in our game. Continue to help us by reporting those you find to be cheating in your games, regardless of your rank or skill level.
We also want to take a moment to acknowledge that regions supporting some of our most highly competitive and dedicated players, including Korea, Japan, and North America, are dealing with cheaters especially focused on disrupting the games of top-skilled players and content creators. We are thinking of ways to keep cheaters from being able to stalk specific players, and look to tackle this problem quickly.
Keeping the Playing Field Even for All Players
We want to address a frustration we’ve seen among new players. When seasoned players start new accounts, it can be an undue challenge to deal with in lower skill levels. Often called “smurfing,” we find this type of behavior unwelcoming and harmful to the new player experience. So, we have been working on new tech that can recognize a seasoned player on a new account and quickly move up their MMR to where they belong. In addition, to help make sure new players can have a few games learning the ropes without getting stomped, the first five opening matches for new accounts will now play against AI controlled bots just like our Play vs. AI mode.
This tech has been tested in a limited capacity in the live game for some time now, and we’re confident that we’re going to be able to make an impact on our community at all skill levels when this system fully launches. We expect "Unranked to Grand Master" videos and streams to be easier to watch, given how much shorter they'll be. While we don’t restrict players to one account, it is encouraged that you spend the time developing your skills on only one account when possible. We look forward to seeing feedback as we continue to make improvements in the matchmaking quality for all players across all skill levels.
Encouraging Positive Comms for Everyone
Finally, we wanted to provide updates to our efforts to cut down on disruptive chat and gameplay behaviors. We use machine learning technology to capture, transcribe, and identify disruptive chat whether it is posted in voice comms or in the chat feed, and we’ve continued to improve those capabilities to better identify chat that creates an unsafe and unwelcoming experience. Those who are being disruptive in chat can expect corrective actions including silences that remove your access to chat features, suspensions that will temporarily pause your account from playing Overwatch 2, and in the case of repeat offenders, having their accounts be banned entirely.
We don’t take these actions lightly. We also issue warnings whenever players are reporting a disruptive player across multiple matches, so please take them seriously. While we can’t wait to see your next awesome D.Va bomb 5K or swoop in and save your team with a well-placed immortality field, you should never take it out on your teammates when things don’t go right. It’s okay to be critical and provide feedback, but insulting and harassing your fellow players, regardless of language used, will result in your account getting actioned. If you encounter players who are being disruptive, always remember to report them as soon as you can to help our system catch the behavior faster. Remember, you can now report directly from the scoreboard with just a few clicks.
Overwatch 2 is about fighting for the future, and our heroes represent a bright and diverse cast with different nationalities, different backgrounds, and different identities. We want to foster a community that is just as bright and diverse. We have millions of players from over 240 countries and territories so it’s up to all of us to make sure everyone who plays feels welcome no matter who they are. So, praising your teammates for their hard work, sharing a laugh, or congratulating your opponents on a game well played can mean a lot.
The Defense Matrix works to protect everyone as we work together to play the best game that we can, and we continue to be grateful to our community who helps with this goal. Let’s make a great game.