Cheating is a big part of video games whether people and developers want to admit it or not. And more importantly than that, players like to find creative ways to cheat in various games, so the developers have to be on their toes in order to combat what’s coming for them, so to speak. For the team at Blizzard, Overwatch is a constant source of frustration when it comes to cheating, and they work hard to try and give a fun game environment for all.
For not only will they ban players for using illegal programs, they’ll also punish players who use dirty tactics to try and influence matches one way or another. But, there are also people who just aren’t good with some characters, yet they try and still play competitively. Should this be allowed? That’s what one player asked Blizzard on Battle.net. They wanted to be sure they wouldn’t be banned because of not being as good as others. Blizzard saw this and responded in large fashion.
“If a teammate is actively trying to perform well on their hero and help their team, they should NOT be reported under any category,” says Community Manager Josh Engen.
Engen notes that there’s nothing wrong with trying your hardest with a character you’re not the best with. So, if you like Hanzo (which is what the player in question uses), by all means, use him, you have no fear of punishment.
Now, if you use Hanzo and then do nothing in the matches, or refuse to help teammates, or fail to try and complete objectives, then by Blizzard rules your teammates have the right to report you. Blizzard does encourage reports, but they want them to be accurate and fair. False reports of any Overwatch player will get you yourself punished instead of them.
We recommend reading the whole breakdown from Engen to see what is fair and what isn’t.
