Believe it or not, high level portrait border toxicity has significantly improved over time, even despite the crossplay update.
I’m level 5000 (5366 according to Overbuff as of this writing), and so have had my maxed out plat portrait a good year before Blizzard even added the diamond portrait border (which at my level at the time they added the diamond borders, I had mine half built). When I first got my plat portrait, I received the full range of commentary, from the confused (people thought I worked for Blizzard) to the impressed, to the sarcastic incredulous remarks to the full range of toxic remarks made toward me. When the diamond border came out, it was the plat portrait experience, but refreshed all over again.
Regarding my experience over the toxicity I had over my high and maxed level portrait borders over the years: at its worst—years ago, when the game was around 2 years old and then again when the diamond portrait border was added—I was getting harassed just about every other game I played. A year ago? Maybe a few times a week. Today? I’m harassed maybe a few times a month—and that’s playing for a few hours a day, every day of the week.
Plat and diamond borders are everywhere now, on people of all skill levels, from the “expected” GM ranks to—yes, “believe or not”—all the way down to bronze SR (and the “QP warrior”/“I don’t play competitive modes” types). So many people have plat and diamond portrait borders, that it is hard not to randomly bump into them. I used to recognize all the names of people I’d occasionally bump into who shared my similar high level portrait border, but today, I see them everywhere on so many names that I swear I’ve never even seen before. Anyone who claims to be “astonished” at seeing such a high level border (in a game going on six years old!) is lying and think they’re being funny spurting the same immature brainless toxic garbage and likely deserve reports for abusive chat if they’re being mean enough.
Last I heard, everyone’s portrait borders will be going away with the Overwatch 2 update, and this makes me sad and upset, because, despite the hassle and ridicule I’ve received over it from a few toxic individuals, I also received many complements over it as well. Regardless of what strangers and my friends think, I personally love how it looks and the accomplished feel I have for earning it for having played so long every time I look at it. My portrait border, like my hours on my favorite heroes have defined who I am as an Overwatch player, which I—personally—want to show off, rather than hide away.
