Skip to main content

Blizzard launches ‘Discipline Tracker’ to name and shame ‘Overwatch’ cheaters

Like many online games, Overwatch has a problem with players cheating. In a competitive environment, people who use exploits or hacks to gain an advantage over others make gameplay less fair and less fun for everyone. Now Blizzard has brought in a new system to name and shame cheaters who break Overwatch’s rules or code of conduct.

The “Discipline Tracker” is a list of the players who have been disciplined by Blizzard for breaking the rules, showing information like the player’s name, their team, and details about what infractions they committed. It only shows players who are part of an Overwatch League team, as it is intended to keep track of players who are part of the league and who must face a review of their conduct by Blizzard before they join. The results of this review are published to the tracker once a player joins the league.

Recommended Videos

Blizzard describes how the tracker works on their website: “As players join the Overwatch League, the league office conducts a full review of their conduct and, where appropriate, takes disciplinary action. While the league reviews each case on its own, key factors informing the level of discipline include both the severity and recency of the actions under review. During the season, the league office will continue to evaluate infractions and take action as needed.”

The tracker’s use is further clarified by Blizzard, “The following list does not include players who are not currently under contract with an Overwatch League team but might face suspension or fines should they return to league play. In addition, players who have previously served penalties while playing in Contenders are generally not subject to further discipline upon joining the Overwatch League.”

To give you an idea of the scale of the problem of cheating in Overwatch, the tracker was launched one day ago and there are already seven players listed for infractions from account boosting to account selling to throwing matches. And remember, these aren’t casual players sitting at home and messing about — they are professional eSports players who really should know better.

This tracker brings Overwatch as an eSport more into line with traditional sports like tennis or UFC, where governing bodies keep records of professional infractions like doping.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
Blizzard is changing Overwatch character McCree’s name amid controversy
Jesse McCree in Overwatch

Jesse McCree, the six-shootin' cowboy of Overwatch voiced by Matt Mercer, will be getting a new name according to a post on the game's Twitter page. The decision by developer Blizzard comes after the character's real-life namesake, a former game designer at the studio, was let go from the company.

"As we continue to discuss how we best live up to our values and to demonstrate our commitment to creating a game world that reflects them," reads Blizzard's statement on the Overwatch Twitter page, "we believe it's necessary to change the name of the hero currently known as McCree to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for." A new name for the hero has not been announced.

Read more
Astro Gaming is the latest sponsor to drop Activision-Blizzard
Call of Duty Warzone Black Ops Cold War AMP 63

Astro Gaming, which manufactures gaming peripherals and is widely known for its headsets, has allegedly dropped the Call of Duty League as a sponsor. A report from Charlieintel shows that the Astro Gaming logo has been entirely removed from the Call of Duty League's MVP event website. The move comes amid a crisis for Activision Blizzard as it faces a major lawsuit over its company culture.

The peripheral manufacturer isn't alone in leaving the Call of Duty League's latest event as a sponsor. T-Mobile recently dropped not only the Call of Duty League as a sponsor just a few weeks ago but also ceased its sponsorship of the Overwatch League. At the moment, it's not clear if Astro Gaming is still sponsoring the Overwatch League.

Read more
Overwatch pros weigh in on the sequel’s shift to five-player teams
Characters in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch has seen plenty of changes since it first arrived on the team-based multiplayer first-person shooter scene back in 2016. Over the course of its five years, the shooter has seen large shifts to the way players queue for quickplay and competitive play alongside the numerous patches and updates. When it first launched, there were no limits to the hero choices that players could make when playing, meaning you could see an entire team of Symmetras versus an entire team of Mercys.

BlizzConline 2021 | Behind the Scenes of Overwatch 2 | Overwatch

Read more