Overwatch is already an incredibly popular game, despite the fact that it hasn’t even been released yet. The open beta has ended, and there are many players who are anxiously awaiting their opportunity to play Overwatch (after the game is released). Hopefully, they will be smart enough to play the game without cheating, because Blizzard will be banning cheaters in Overwatch.
The open beta for Overwatch recently ended. A total of 9.7 million players participated. The game can be played on XBox One, PS4, or PC. (Overwatch cannot be played on a Mac – which is disappointing, but not unusual when you consider how many video games aren’t Mac compatible). Overwatch will be released on May 24, 2016, and is available for pre-purchase now.
The world needed heroes, and an incredible 9.7 MILLION of you answered the call. Here’s to our next adventure! pic.twitter.com/YIusT0rCUa
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 12, 2016
In an official post on the Overwatch website, Community Manager Lylirra (Stephanie Johnson) made it clear that Blizzard will not tolerate cheating in Overwatch.
We’ve always taken cheating in Blizzard games very seriously, and that stance is no different for Overwatch. “Play nice; play fair” is one of our core values as a company, and its something we’ve taken to heart not only when designing the game, but also as we’ve developed our plans to support it and our players after launch.
What does this mean for Overwatch? If a player is found to be cheating – or using hacks, bots, or third-party software that provides any sort of unfair advantage – that player will be permanently banned from the game. Full stop.
The same post gives honest players some ways to report cheaters. Overwatch will have an option “to report players for potential cheating” directly through the game client. In addition, players who believe that another player is cheating, or who have “information pertaining to the use of hacks, bots, or unauthorized third-party software in Overwatch” can contact hacks@blizzard.com and make a report.