Overwatch 2 devs announce major Competitive changes to counter toxicity

The developers of Overwatch 2 have announced that they will be implementing major changes in Season 10 of Competitive mode. These changes aim to combat toxicity and improve the experience of playing with friends.

The release of Season 10 for Overwatch 2 is fast approaching, and the developers have been keeping us informed about all the upcoming updates, including the addition of a new DPS Hero. They have also revealed a multitude of changes that have been implemented to combat toxicity in Overwatch 2, starting from Season 10 and beyond.

In the upcoming Season 10 of Overwatch 2, playing with friends in Competitive mode will be a seamless experience as there will be no limitations on grouping. This means that players of any rank can queue together, including Bronze players with Diamond or higher players.

The developers of Overwatch 2 have announced that they will be implementing two additional penalty durations for leaving Unranked games during Season 10. Players will receive a five-minute penalty for leaving a single Unranked game, and a more severe 48-hour penalty if they repeatedly leave Unranked games.

Gavin Winter, Senior System Designer for Overwatch 2, further revealed that the enhanced Streamer Mode will now benefit all players, not just those who stream the game. The feature will now operate on the server-side rather than solely on the client-side, giving players the ability to alter their appearance for all other players.

“According to Winter, this change is beneficial for players who may face harassment due to their Battletags, as it allows them to queue up without worrying about encountering such behavior.”

New Developer Update: Competitive, Defense Matrix, & more 👀👥 Grouping Restrictions Removed🏅 Players of ALL ranks can group together🔌 Leaver penalty changes🕵️ Improved anonymity and streamer mode✅ In-Game Player Surveys and more in S11pic.twitter.com/LH8tURJHlx

— Overwatch Cavalry (@OWCavalry) April 10, 2024

As the Seasons progress, Overwatch 2 plans to introduce significant alterations to the voice chat system. For instance, during Season 10, players with an endorsement level of 0 will not have access to voice chat. Additionally, during Season 11, spectators will not be permitted to use the chat function.

Senior Research Scientist Natasha Miller, working on the development of Overwatch 2, stated that players will continue to have the opportunity to provide feedback through post-match surveys in Season 11. This valuable input will help the developers create a satisfying gaming experience.

“Miller expressed his enthusiasm for this feature, stating that the team is eager to gather feedback and make further improvements to the game.”

Starting from Season 12, the developers have announced their plan to expand the number of available “Avoid Teammate”slots to 10. This implementation may take some time as it requires adjustments to the current system, but it is currently in progress.

In addition, players will have the ability to personalize their avoid list by pinning specific players to ensure they always remain on the list. The remaining players will continue to show a timer indicating when they will be removed automatically.

Season 12 will also introduce alterations to the speed of reporting players. The updated reporting system aims to streamline the process of reporting disruptive players during a match, making it more user-friendly and intuitive.

While we wait for these changes to arrive, you can learn more about Overwatch 2 by checking out all the Hero updates that will be implemented in Season 10, as well as everything we currently know about the Season 10 Battle Pass.