Overwatch Patch Improves Report System

The latest Overwatch patch includes several changes to the game's report system after improvements were recently previewed.

It's taken a while for the report system to become a feature that players are satisfied with, but Blizzard's improvements for the system show that they're listening to player feedback. Game director Jeff Kaplan spoke about the report system earlier in the week and said that they'd be adding a feature that notified players when action was taken against someone they reported while also letting players know when reports against them were bringing them closer to a ban or other punishment.

The new patch notes that are now available through the Overwatch forums detailed the changes that are now live:

"Players being reported will receive an in-game message letting them know that they have been reported, along with a warning concerning continued negative behavior. Ongoing misconduct will result in silence, suspension, or a permanent ban, depending on the severity of the infraction (in severe cases, players may receive their punishment before receiving the initial in-game message).

"Players who report someone for poor behavior, resulting in a disciplinary action, will now be notified with an in-game message when the issue has been resolved. We take every report seriously, along with your feedback. Thank you for your patience as we continue to fine tune these systems."

These changes won't completely remove the issue of problematic players in games, but as the patch notes pointed out, they should help restore some faith in the report system. Whether it comes from some feeling of vengeance or an appreciation of justice being levied against a player who deserved a ban, knowing that your reports are being looked at and are having an impact on the game should prove to be a satisfying experience.

The full patch notes can be read here through the forum post, but even though the report system changes are quite welcome, one of the real wins in this patch is the "Mark All As Seen" feature. This option clears all item notifications in the Hero Gallery which means that you don't have to click into every single hero when you want to clear their notifications.