Overwatch Team Launches New Twitch Initiative To Combat Toxicity
Blizzard shooter Overwatch is popular for its varied and dynamic multiplayer, but the internet being what it is has caused a layer of toxicity to worm its way into proceedings. The game has made big strides in combating this in-game negativity over the past year, but it appears Blizzard is now looking to continue their sweep of trolls with moderation of Twitch chat.
Revealed on the Overwatch Contenders blog, a new system has been unveiled that requires users to login to their Battle.net account in order to participate in Twitch chat. The new program is currently being trialed on the Contenders Twitch channel for the Path to Pro developmental league’s 2018 Season 3 quarterfinals. Lasting from now until January 12th, 2019, this test is intended to assess the effectiveness of the program’s intent to provide “a more positive viewing experience.”
It’s currently unknown whether the test may roll out for bigger Overwatch broadcasts or what what any supposed punishment could entail, but it would likely involve an account ban of some sort. Blizzard’s post further included a small tutorial detailing how one could link their Twitch and Battle.net accounts while the test is live.
To link your Battle.net and Twitch accounts, log into Twitch, visit https://www.twitch.tv/settings/connections, and select the ‘Connect’ option under Blizzard Battle.net. Users who try to chat with unlinked accounts will be met with an automatic reply and prompted to link their accounts.”
What do you think? Are you glad to see Overwatch make moves to halt toxic behavior, or are you concerned that Blizzard may be going overboard? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
