Cheats to look out for

[clch-1534]

Hello gamers i’ve recently been apart of a match against 4 aimbotting hackers. Each one is pretty easy to spot and they all have varying kinds of cheats. Obviously my team lost but I felt like sharing the insanity!

REPLAY CODE: VV2GSQ

[Kaedi-11739]

Technically you should not be sharing on the forums (as it provokes witchhunting against other players). We the community cannot do anything about them as only Blizzard handles actions for those that violate the Code of Conduct. Instead, make sure to use the report form and post the replay code there for the Blizzard hacks team to review.

[clch-1534]

my bad i thought it would’ve been alright as the whole lobby had reported them. figured it would be okay to post about simply because of the fact that those players were already banned indefinitely. how can one witchhunt when the players no longer exist? I want to bring awareness to cheats on large and small scales.

[Kaedi-11739]

It’s okay, but let me explain a few things to keep in mind, when there is too much discussion about cheating it can often lead to some misconceptions about how Blizzard handles cheating, let me bring up some of the oldest community manager posts from the old forums that explains this policy better.

@Community Manager Lylirra

Please do not report potential cheats, hacks, bots, or unauthorized third-party software on the forums. Not only is it likely your post will be moderated (to remove any specific player info - this just isn’t the place for it), but it’s not a direct channel to our hacks teams, so it’s definitely not as efficient.

Instead, the most helpful and effective thing you can do is use the in-game reporting option (right click on the player’s name > report) or email your findings to hacks@blizzard.com . These are dedicated channels, and using them will make sure your reports get to the right people.

With that said, it’s important to note that while community-submitted evidence can be very helpful, we will never use it alone to verify whether or not cheating is taking place. Because of this, and this goes back to my statement above, we ask that you please avoid publicly accusing individuals of cheating whenever possible and use the reporting methods we’ve provided. (Another reason why the forums aren’t a good place to have these sorts of discussions. No harm, no foul though.)

We’re constantly monitoring the game and have been very aggressive with taking action against players who’ve been found to be cheating. Sometimes these actions are extremely visible, other times they may be more behind-the-scenes. Either way, preserving the integrity of the game is something that’s super important to us, and we appreciate your involvement immensely.

@Community Manager Lylirra

I can definitely see the rationale there, and that may be okay for other community channels. It is not okay in these forums, however.

For clarity, this is because killcams, Plays of the Game, Highlights, and other community-captured footage aren’t consistently reliable. While they definitely are valuable (so please continue to send them our way), they’re never actually used to verify or confirm the use cheats, hacks, bots, or unauthorized third-party programs. As a result, public accusations can often lead to witch hunts, and that kind of discourse doesn’t benefit you, the targeted player, or the game very much. Or the community itself, really. It’s something we’ll likely always actively discourage.

Source: Old Overwatch Forum Archives

@Community Manager Lylirra

We’ve always taken cheating in Blizzard games very seriously, and that stance is no different for Overwatch. “Play nice; play fair” is one of our core values as a company, and it’s something we’ve taken to heart not only when designing the game, but also as we’ve developed our plans to support it and our players after launch.

What does this mean for Overwatch? If a player is found to be cheating—or using hacks, bots, or third-party software that provides any sort of unfair advantage—that player will be permanently banned from the game. Full stop. Not only does cheating undermine the spirit of fair play that all of our products are based on, but it works to diminish the fun and enjoyment of others. While we are unlikely to publicly acknowledge when accounts are closed as a result of cheating or using unauthorized programs, we have and will continue to monitor Overwatch for exploitative behavior, as well as take action as needed to preserve the integrity of game.

These assertions aren’t new or groundbreaking for Blizzard, but they’re important and serve as a reminder of our commitment to delivering epic gameplay experiences. For us, it’s not just about creating awesome games, but about supporting those games and their communities for years to come. The upcoming launch of Overwatch on May 24 is in many ways just the beginning, and we’re doing all that we can to prepare for that milestone and (perhaps more importantly) what comes after—not just in terms of new game content, but also how we can ensure a fair and equitable play environment for everyone.

So, how can you help?

How to Report Cheating in Overwatch

If you believe another player is cheating or you have information pertaining to the use of hacks, bots, or unauthorized third-party software in Overwatch, please contact us at hacks@blizzard.com. Although you won’t receive a response, our dedicated team of engineers and analysts actively monitor this inbox for your reports. In fact, thanks to reports submitted during the beta, we’ve already made improvements to the game as well as removed players who were found to be cheating.

In addition, by popular request, we will also be including an option to report players for potential cheating directly through the game client. This option will be available at launch and can be accessed through the normal right click > “Report” menu.

Things to Keep in Mind When Reporting Potential Cheating

Encountering another player who you believe is cheating can be an incredibly frustrating experience, but in a game like Overwatch, we ask that you keep the following considerations in mind:

• Our in-game camera system does not always play back footage at the same fidelity as real-time gameplay (this loss in fidelity applies to the killcam, Plays of the Game, Highlights, and—to a lesser extent—the spectator camera as well). This can sometimes result in a player’s aim appearing more snappy or less fluid in playback than it did in-game.

• With the above, there may be bugs with the in-game camera system that affect playback footage. In the Closed Beta, we actually had a bug that caused the killcam and spectator camera angle to suddenly “snap” whenever Zarya cast Particle Barrier or Projected Barrier. While we’re unaware of any issues with the camera system at present, undiscovered bugs are always a possibility to consider.

• Lastly, some players are just really good at first-person shooters. Through practice and years of experience, these players’ movements and reaction times can occasionally appear unnatural (if not physically impossible) to those who may not have been exposed to that particular level of play before.

It’s important to note that while video evidence from killcams, Plays of the Game, Highlights, and other community captured footage can be very helpful, we will never use it alone to verify whether or not cheating is taking place. As a result, we encourage players to play nice, play fair and avoid publicly accusing individuals of cheating whenever possible and instead use the reporting methods detailed above.

Thank you for your vigilance, passion, and commitment to helping us make Overwatch the best game it can be. We’ll see you May 24!

Source: Old Overwatch Forum Archives

[TrobJon-2309]

@Kaedi-11739

Technically you should not be sharing on the forums (as it provokes witchhunting against other players).

He’s sharing his overwatch experience with a replay code that isn’t against coc

Yes your not meant to make cheating reports via the forums. He’s not doing that he’s clearly addressing the community not blizzard.

Yes you not allowed to target harresment at a player. He’s not naming players. Yes the replay code could be used to do that but since that’s not his intent you can’t say he’s doing that. If he was then all replay codes should be banned.

Technically, you telling an individual what he should or shouldn’t post is as much against coc as his post if not more. As if you feel a post is against coc you should report it not bring it up in topic as you are opening him up to harresment and false flagging.

I presume you misunderstood his post and if dms were a thing it would be easier to communicate these issues safely but that’s not the case.

Either way, sharing a replay code to share an experience with the community isn’t against ToS and to a certain point, a point to the forum.

[Pikaras-2659]

@Kaedi-11739

make sure to use the report form

Yeah because it works so well…

[Hoffahoff-2141]

@Kaedi-11739

make sure to use the report form

It’s pointless.

Hacks are running wild these days. We need a huge ban-wave soon.