Blizzard is Looking at Harsh Penalties for Overwatch Competitive Play Leavers

[ffronw]

Blizzard is Looking at Harsh Penalties for Overwatch Competitive Play Leavers

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1382/1382625.jpgBlizzard may soon implement policies that punish habitual leavers in Competitive with permanent bans from the mode.

If you've played any competitive Overwatch, you've likely seen people who bail on matches when things aren't going their way. Many games punish players who leave early, and one Overwatch player suggested in the game's official forums that Blizzard should borrow Street Fighter V's system, which tags leavers with a red label, and only lets them play with other leavers for a set period of time. But Blizzard is working on something a bit more punitive, it seems.

Overwatch Game Director Jeff Kaplan responded to the thread [https://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20755646517#post-2], as he is wont to do, and he outlined a new policy that Blizzard is working on to try and encourage players not to leave matches early. He said,

"We'll definitely take the idea into consideration. Our philosophy has been that we would rather not have leavers playing the game at all (especially in Competitive Play). We keep increasing the penalty for leaving and will continue to do so. We're in the process of implementing a new policy which would take into account how many Competitive Seasons you have been banned from and at a certain point, prevent you from playing Competitive ever again."

So if you like to leave matches early, it could end up getting you banned from Competitive Play for good. I'm sure that sounds reasonable to anyone who's been hamstrung in a match by someone who bailed out early.

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[RaikuFA]

Thank God. I pretty much stopped competitive because every match someone on my team would DC.

 

[WindKnight]

On the one hand, I'm all for this due in particular games where it's been close or my team started badly but turned things around, only for the leaver to put paid to all of that, but I hope there's some wriggle room.

I've had a few instances where I've been randomly DC'd mid match, or else had a knock on the door, a phonecall or other stuff more important than a game come up. Not enough to be banned from a season, and where possible I've hopped straight back into the game (and I always loudly and openly apologise and explain why I'm going AFK), but still, worried.

 

[SmugFrog]

Thank God. I pretty much stopped competitive because every match someone on my team would DC.

I know it's not the same as competitive, I had a guy last night on capture the flag playing Roadhog running away from the flag as they were taking it for a second time. "Just let them win" he said, and then at some point disconnected. I guess that one capture was just too much for him to take.

I don't know when I'll try competitive again. I played 2 games - the first we rocked and stomped the other team, and the second we got stomped so badly that it made me question how I play. There was a Genji that just would not die, and I think that game ended for me with 0 kills and 6 deaths (and I usually play at 3:1 or better).

 

[Buizel91]

On the one hand, I'm all for this due in particular games where it's been close or my team started badly but turned things around, only for the leaver to put paid to all of that, but I hope there's some wriggle room.

I've had a few instances where I've been randomly DC'd mid match, or else had a knock on the door, a phonecall or other stuff more important than a game come up. Not enough to be banned from a season, and where possible I've hopped straight back into the game (and I always loudly and openly apologise and explain why I'm going AFK), but still, worried.

Pretty sure they will take DC's into account, they would be silly not to

 

[Metalrocks]

so far i rarely had people leaving during a game but it certainly is frustrating when you are in a troubled situation. im rather curious what happens if you lose your connection or it loses connection to the server. i had it few times with this game.

 

[Bad Jim]

I've had a few instances where I've been randomly DC'd mid match, or else had a knock on the door, a phonecall or other stuff more important than a game come up.

I don't think harsh penalties are a good idea. If they've given up they've given up, and if they have to stay connected they'll just sit around waiting for the match to end. I think a disconnect should count as a loss so you can't protect your rating by disconnecting a lost match, but that's a very mild punishment at worst.

A better resolution is for the side that finds itself one player short to get some kind of compensation. Maybe a bot, maybe another player gets added to the team, maybe the team gets to move faster, does more damage, has more hitpoints etc so they have a fighting chance despite being outnumbered. In general, I think the game can still be fun, balanced and fair if a player quits.

 

[bjj hero]

Sometimes connections drop. Equally sometimes something more important than the game comes up. I do think there would have to be clear evidence of abuse for this to work.

Maybe guage if the team is winning or losing in each DC?

 

[RaikuFA]

Sometimes connections drop. Equally sometimes something more important than the game comes up. I do think there would have to be clear evidence of abuse for this to work.

Maybe guage if the team is winning or losing in each DC?

I can assure you that nearly every match i've played I've gotten a DCer and each DC match I have lost.

 

[Elijin]

People are being a bit dramatic here.

These sort of measures are only ever levelled at habitual quitters. A connection error here or there, or door knock or phone call unexpectedly isn't going to hit those levels. And honestly, if they are happening frequently enough to make an impact, you should be accepting your life and internet doesn't currently suit queuing up for a competitive match and put it on the backburner or play QP.

 

[The Enquirer]

Thank God. I pretty much stopped competitive because every match someone on my team would DC.

I know it's not the same as competitive, I had a guy last night on capture the flag playing Roadhog running away from the flag as they were taking it for a second time. "Just let them win" he said, and then at some point disconnected. I guess that one capture was just too much for him to take.

I don't know when I'll try competitive again. I played 2 games - the first we rocked and stomped the other team, and the second we got stomped so badly that it made me question how I play. There was a Genji that just would not die, and I think that game ended for me with 0 kills and 6 deaths (and I usually play at 3:1 or better).

When the major Ana and Hog changes were on the PTR some months ago I had a guy throw a match the second he would die.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

In all the time I've played OW since early beta, I've never quit a match. I have walked away from the keyboard though, if there was an emergency or otherwise life-intrusion, but I don't quit. Thankfully too I have a good ISP that rarely goes down.
But habitual quitters can fuck right off. I don't play competitive, too casual for that. But even in QP its fucking annoying that dbags will quit if things don't go their way. Almost as annoying as the dbags who at the end of a losing game whine in chat about how everyone else sucks but they either were bottom of the team or decided that their character choice was more important than playing a much needed role.

 

[bjj hero]

Sometimes connections drop. Equally sometimes something more important than the game comes up. I do think there would have to be clear evidence of abuse for this to work.

Maybe guage if the team is winning or losing in each DC?

I can assure you that nearly every match i've played I've gotten a DCer and each DC match I have lost.

I mainly get them around end of season. Im on xbone though.

 

[Fox12]

Then why even have the option to leave in-game? Sometimes things happen.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Sometimes connections drop.

This is true. However, if your connection drops so frequently as to risk flagging you as a "leaver", then perhaps you shouldn't be playing Competitive at all- because all you're doing is worsening the experience for your teammates.

 

[Matthew Lynch]

personallyu, as someone who, due to my medical condition, sometimes has to bail without warning...this seems a little harsh, espetially if the person bailing had to leave due to a unforseen medical reason.

 

[Bindal]

personallyu, as someone who, due to my medical condition, sometimes has to bail without warning...this seems a little harsh, espetially if the person bailing had to leave due to a unforseen medical reason.

Stuff like that (and simply because forcing a person to play despite the fact they're just getting frustated instead of entertained) is why I am in general against leaver-penalty to begin with.
And no, the whole "ruining the experience for others" argument I don't buy. If I play, than the experience I should be concerned with primarily is MY OWN. And if I don't have a good experience, then I should be allowed to leave - as the alternative is not giving a crap during the game and basically throwing the game that way, just that it also wastes my time.

 

[Avnger]

If I play, than the experience I should be concerned with primarily is MY OWN. And if I don't have a good experience, then I should be allowed to leave - as the alternative is not giving a crap during the game and basically throwing the game that way, just that it also wastes my time.

And that's entirely your prerogative. Here's the issue though; Blizzard is in charge of ensuring EVERYONE'S experience. You're entirely free to do as you will for your own experience despite the effect it might have on others, and Blizzard will do what it will for the entire group's experience. From the POV of Blizzard if punishing the 1 person quitting matches means the other 7(?) people playing are less likely to be negatively affected, it's a win for them and the community at large.

tldr: You do what's in your "best interest," but you should expect Blizzard to do what's in its and the community's "best interest" in turn.

edit: Your argument is roughly the same bullshit one that people who cheat while playing multiplayer games make. Game companies have no reason to abide selfish behavior from players that negatively impacts others.

 

[direkiller]

Sometimes connections drop.

They made it quite clear this is for the extreme end, and if your connection is going out enough that it has the same left games as a habitual rage quitter you should not be playing competitive.

 

[Bindal]

If I play, than the experience I should be concerned with primarily is MY OWN. And if I don't have a good experience, then I should be allowed to leave - as the alternative is not giving a crap during the game and basically throwing the game that way, just that it also wastes my time.

And that's entirely your prerogative. Here's the issue though; Blizzard is in charge of ensuring EVERYONE'S experience. You're entirely free to do as you will for your own experience despite the effect it might have on others, and Blizzard will do what it will for the entire group's experience. From the POV of Blizzard if punishing the 1 person quitting matches means the other 7(?) people playing are less likely to be negatively affected, it's a win for them and the community at large.

So me ruining the experience of others by leaving is bad - but ruining it the exact same by not giving a fuck is fine.
In other words, I get punished for giving other people the exact same thing either way but not wasting my own time.
Which means the result of forcing me to stay is actually worse for at least one player than letting said player leave.