Overwatch player toxicity "not solved but getting better," Blizzard takes the fight to YouTube
Blizzard is making a dent in quelling toxic behavior with Overwatch players, but admits things aren't as "great as they should be."
Speaking in the latest developer update video, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan provided and update on how Blizzard is continuing to combat toxicity.
One of the key factors in the recent reduction of is the ability for console players to report others. The developer also sends an in-game message replying to the report with information on whether action was taken. Blizzard said sending warnings to players on the verge of getting banned, silenced or suspended has helped curb instances of abuse to other players.
Due to the new policy implementation, player reports of abuse in competitive play are up by 20% and abuse through in-game chat has declined 17%, said Kaplan.
Blizzard is also going after toxic Overwatch players on social networks such as YouTube. When the team sees overly toxic in-game behavior occurring, action is taken against the player and in some instances, even before another player can report the behavior.
"It's starting to work much better, and it's actually having a big impact on the community," said Kaplan. "We know those numbers are not as great as they could be, w know the problem is not solved and that hings aren't perfect, but it's getting a lot better. And a lot of the initiatives that we're doing here at Blizzard are starting to make a difference."
More detail is provided in the video above, and you can listen to Kaplan discuss measures from the start of the video up to the 3:05 mark.