The new Overwatch player reporting system is exactly what the game needed

Overwatch is setting an example once again. This time, it's for something as simple as implementing competent anti-abuse measures.

If you frequent the Overwatch sub-Reddit, or any forum that regularly discuses the game, you will have no doubt ran into many reports of players getting abused by others during matches, especially in Competitive Play.

The reasons for such offensive comments can be as small as someone not agreeing with your character pick, to people straight up losing it every time they hear a feminine voice. Like many games, Overwatch does include a report feature that's about as typical as you'd expect.

Unfortunately, despite Blizzard repeatedly reassuring players that reports get investigated, the reporting tools just weren't up to snuff for a game as complex as Overwatch. This often lead to people using the report button for things it wasn't designed to do.

Good news! It looks like this is about to change. The game's PTR currently has an overhauled player reporting system. This system is already a huge improvement for a couple of reasons.

As you can see in the GIF above via Redditor Arsenal2454, there are now seven, very distinct reasons for reporting a player.

You have spam, abusive chat, cheating, griefing, inactivity, bad Battletag (username), and poor teamwork. Whenever you go to report a player, you will be able to tell Blizzard exactly why you think they should be punished.

The other reason this system is very promising is that it gives a clear explanation of the type of actions each category covers, and what it does not. For instance, you can report a player for poor teamwork if they're not pushing the objective, not when they pick a hero you don't think is appropriate for the mode.

Hopefully, Blizzard will act on the reports received and all players will get to enjoy a less toxic environment.