Overwatch is one of the first games to introduce a one-strike lifetime ban for cheating. Granted, there are different categories and severities of cheating, like taking advantage of existing in-game glitches versus using third-party hack programs. In the case of Overwatch , it appears that you can at least be accused of cheating for being particularly good at first person shooters. I think what Blizzard is trying to achieve here is a safe online space for everyone so that the game may be enjoyed as it was meant to be, straight from the box – but is the company going too far?
The problem with this one-strike and you’re out for life rule is that games, most especially online ones, take on a life of their own the moment they are in the players’ hands. Each game becomes an entirely unique experience because of the player’s skill level. For example, if you’re terrible at first person shooters, Overwatch still allows you to have a good time by using fixed skill mechanics and one ultimate attack that makes you feel like a total badass. But you’re still going to have a totally different experience from someone at different skill level, who might be a little better and can enjoy the flow of the game as they play instead of hoping to hell they don’t die. Where Blizzard’s rule comes in is if you cheat to be better at the game and therefore influence or change the experience for others. Cheating, however, is not necessarily restricted to simply improving your gameplay. It could also involve rigging the loot boxes to get the items you want without paying for them.
As much as I understand where Blizzard is coming from, I think a lifetime ban is not the way to build the safe community it wants. Building a safe community is about learning and teaching an understanding of the principles you want to adhere to. You cannot learn if you cannot return to the community afterwards and apply your new knowledge. Simply put, the punishment does not fit the crime. It’s like receiving a life sentence for bringing your own tools to a job that already supplies them, and then using your tools to cut corners and get the job done faster. Cutting corners, like cheating, isn’t a good thing and might very well harm other people. But you’re not going to learn that properly by receiving a life sentence immediately. I know I would probably be more likely to bear resentment than any willingness to learn why it happened in the first place.
That said, if Blizzard had simply prevented cheating altogether in Overwatch , we might not be so upset by this extreme punishment because committing the crime would be impossible anyway. Indeed, that cheating is so very possible sends a very infuriating message from Blizzard. Especially if you happen to cheat with something the developers themselves built into the game (I remember plenty of that in World of Warcraft ). So much for “play nice; play fair”, a mission statement from the Blizzard website itself.
I don’t think this was intentional on Blizzard’s part, however. Preventing cheats is kind of like Whack-A-Mole . You’ll never get all of them and there’s always more and more advanced ways to cheat the game. As such, it is probably a lot easier for Blizzard to spend time on making a great game and enforcing a cheating rule rather than focusing all their resources on ensuring no one can cheat within the game.
In my opinion, Blizzard should re-think this lifetime ban and allow their players to learn from the experience. If Blizzard can do that, they can achieve that safe community they’re clearly wanting to build within their games. Thus, a year or two should be plenty of time for a cheater to atone for their apparent sins, not an entire lifetime.