Blizzard has widely spoken of its efforts to curb what it (and many others) refer to as toxicity in gaming communities online. In a new developer update, Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan spoke to efforts in-game to continue curbing toxic behavior, as well as what Blizzard itself is doing externally, which may surprise you!
Kaplan said that Blizzard is pleased with its results from player-based reporting, noting that the use of Overwatch ’s reporting tools after iteration has increased by 20%. Kaplan says that Blizzard and his team wants to do more to encourage reporting, but that the difference is notable and motivating.
Kaplan also spoke to what Blizzard does itself to crack down on bad behavior, beyond relying on player reports. Kaplan stated that Blizzard takes to social media spaces, particularly YouTube, to search for examples of player abuse. Using the video evidence, Blizzard can find problem players’ accounts and get rid of them well before a report comes in.
Source: Polygon