A professional Overwatch player who will be competing in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League found himself suspended in the middle of a match.
The incident raises fresh concerns on certain issues surrounding the Overwatch reporting system, and their effect on competitive matches and Overwatch League players.
Dallas Fuel's xQc Receives 'Overwatch' Suspension
Felix Lengyel, also known as xQc, was streaming a competitive Overwatch game when he was booted from the match in the middle of a round. Lengyel was then informed that his account was suspended, so he could not get back into the game and help his teammates win.
His teammates badly needed him as well. Lengyel was part of Canada's Overwatch World Cup team that lost to South Korea in the finals at BlizzCon, and has signed with the Dallas Fuel in the Overwatch League.
After Lengyel received the suspension, he accessed his email while still streaming and saw a message from Blizzard. The suspension he received will last for 72 hours, and the reason was for "misuse of reporting system." Apparently, Lengyel was suspended for false reporting.
Overwatch has a system for players to report other players for behavior that includes intentionally losing games, spamming, and simply making the experience worse for everyone else. False reporting, meanwhile, is when players abuse the Overwatch reporting system to report other players without reason.
However, in Lengyel's case, there appears to be some reason behind his suspension, as he sent in reports against other players with curse words. While the reports had legitimate reasons, he has since apologized for them, but his suspension still stands.
'Overwatch' Reporting System Issues
The Dallas Fuel, through its Twitter account, revealed that its management is currently investigating the suspension and will assist both Lengyel and Blizzard in correcting the matter.
In any case, the incident shows that there is indeed certain issues with the Overwatch player reporting system. The suspension given to Lengyel was made "after a careful review of the evidence," but even considering his profanities in the complaints, does it warrant a suspension against Lengyel when his reports were legitimate?
Blizzard should take a look at how it handles reports, as incorrect suspensions and bannings may affect not just a hobby but also work, when it happens to professional players.
Blizzard might have to split its focus though, as Overwatch is in danger of being banned in Belgium as loot boxes are being investigated on whether they should be considered as gambling.
