Blizzard outlines its new Defense Matrix system forOverwatch 2, which will promote positive behavior and seek to root out cheating and disruptive play.Overwatch 2is the highly anticipated sequel to 2015’s team-based shooter. Releasing on October 4, Blizzard is gearing up for a big launch withOverwatch 2and has made multiple changes to the new title compared to its predecessor.Overwatch 2will be free-to-play, for example, unlike the originalOverwatch, meaning more players will theoretically be able to access the game.
WithOverwatch 2being a free-to-play, competitive shooter, there is some concern that cheaters and disruptive players could infiltrate the game.Overwatchdid have some problems with cheaters, and back in 2017 a pro player was banned for trying to get their fans to cheat. However, Blizzard has already outlined a few ways that it will attempt to prevent cheating and disruptive play inOverwatch 2. For example, a player will have to connect aphone number to their account inOverwatch 2in order to launch the game.
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This and other measures are part of what Blizzard is terming its Defense Matrix forOverwatch 2. According to a blog post made on Blizzard’s official website, the Defense Matrix has been created to make a saferOverwatch 2community, nurture programs that ensure a “positive experience for all players,” and maintain competitive integrity by eliminating cheaters and disruptive players. A lot of these competitive changes are clear to see lower down in the blog post and they include the removal of the general chat feature, a new ping system, and alterations to the pre-match screen, which will no longer feature player levels and ranks.
A lot of the aforementioned features work to remove negative player biases and the possibility of toxic interactions taking place during anOverwatch 2match. It seems Blizzard is putting a heavy focus onfirst-time players inOverwatch 2, as a new feature is being introduced in the upcoming shooter known as the First Time User Experience or FTUE. The FTUE will assist newer players who might feel overwhelmed by the amount of heroes, game modes, and more that were immediately available in the originalOverwatchby giving them a more gradual introduction to the game.
With all these changes, it’s clear thatOverwatch 2will be a vastly different beast from the originalOverwatch. Alongside these alterations to competitive matchmaking and the introduction of the Defense Matrix, another new feature forOverwatch 2is its battle pass, which has proven to be quite the controversial addition.
Overwatch 2launches in early access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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