Overwatch Anti-Cheat Features – Blizzard protects Overwatch players

There is no denying the fact that Overwatch is one of the most popular e-sports leagues and it is produced for the video game Overwatch, The producer of this videogame is again the famous and popular Blizzard Entertainment. Overwatch also follows the traditional model that is in vogue in various other North American sporting leagues that are known for the professionalism. They make use of the same set of city- based team and each of these teams are run and backed by separate ownership groups.

The Overwatch League also features regular seasonal matches and playoffs. This compares differently with the format being followed by esports where promotions and relegations are the norm. The players who are a part of the roster are also assured a minimum salary and other benefits. The players are also given a share of the winnings and there is no doubt that this revenue-sharing model rewards performers quite handsomely. Since it was announced in 2016, Overwatch League (OWL) as it is called has progressed quite well. It would be pertinent to mention here that the first edition in 2018 had a prize pool of $3.5 million that was distributed to the teams that took part.

The Menace Of Cheating

While the above is indeed good new, Overwatch players certainly have some problems as far as the upcoming events and leagues are concerned. It is about the cheating that happens. However, the players of Overwatch have not taken it lying down. They are fast getting to know about a new anti-cheat feature.

This feature has been developed by Blizzard. The main objective of this anti-cheat feature is quite interesting. Its objective is to find out reliable ways by which penalties can be stopped against players who are innocent and not in the wrong. These penalties are surely the handiwork of hackers and quite often the innocent players have to face the rough end of the stick.

It also would be pertinent to mention here that Overwatch as a league has some very strong and proven methods for being in a position to control cheats effectively. There are many stories of popular and famous players who have been able to destroy cheaters on stream. They have been able to do this effectively probably because a higher emphasis is being given to teamwork, game sense and of course effective communication.

However, this does not mean that there is no cheating because hackers are always smart and they try to be one up. It would be pertinent to mention that Jeff Kaplan talked about new and major updates to Overwatch and this has happened and there are some good forward movements to it.

It Indeed Is A Pleasant Surprise

It would be pertinent to mention here that Redditor was the first to talk about this change. The change was made in the competitive subreddit arena. When there are cheats in a game, there is no win or loss for the teams. The offender who is accused of cheating is banned. The hacker gets identified at the end of the match and it happens in the form of a pop-up. The players of course are informed about the decision regarding the match and also detection of the hacker.

It Is A Good Feature

There is no doubt that it is positive feature for almost all Overwatch players. The patch notes, however, did not talk much about the anti-cheat features. This was done intentionally to catch the hackers and cheaters unawares. There are others who believe that it could be a part of a wider game plan that could lead to the games being stopped halfway through.

It Certainly Is A Serious Problem

Though the above changes are positive and laudable, there is no doubt that Overwatch has found the going tough with cheaters over a period of time. This is a welcome step, but does it address the root of the problem? The answer may be no. This is because there are a few teams and players who had games being ruined this week because of cheaters and hackers.

A recent game saw the emergence of a Tracer (aimbot) player when the game was reviewed after it was over. The streamer in question, xQc had all reasons to be frustrated about this. The players who suffered believes that the he was subjected to cheating the entire week and the sad part is that nothing much was done by Blizzard to counter this or remedy this.