Overwatch 2 bans over 500,000 cheaters

Overwatch 2 has banned over 500,000 accounts for cheating as part of its Defense Matrix initiative. Read on for details.

In addition to banning over 50,000 accounts for cheating, an official post on Aug. 19 announced the banning of over 40,000 accounts for intentionally grouping up with cheaters.

"Cheats like aimbots and wallhacks wreck the experience for all players," the post stated. "Our team has been hard at work to stop the hacks and mods that enable cheating, plus remove cheaters and those who take advantage of cheaters."

The post continued, highlighting the use of anti-cheat technologies. For example, at the start of Season 11, the Overwatch 2 team launched preventive measures to detect cheaters on console. The team addressed also the use of unapproved peripherals such as XIM devices in Overwatch 2.

In terms of other updates, the post noted a new feature to the in-game scoreboard. Starting in Season 12, it will be easier to control the text and voice chat of teammates and opponents. As for the game's Streamer Protect or Hide My Name feature, the upcoming season will limit its use for only long-standing players. This is because Overwatch 2 cheaters are often on newer accounts.

"With this in mind, we will be restricting access to the Hide My Name features of Streamer Protect for those who don’t have the Unrelenting Hero challenge completed, which requires winning 1,750 games of Overwatch in any game mode," the post explained. "This change will empower our seasoned players to use the Streamer Protect tool properly and not abuse it through the use of secondary accounts intended to cause disruption in games."

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 news and updates.