Summary
While cheating remains a consistent problem in video games, anOverwatch 2player caught some footage of a cheater who was banned for “lag switching” during the middle of an ongoing match. TheOverwatch 2player who filmed the ban shared their condensed clip on social media, and other players ridiculed the cheater for resorting to lag switching to gain an unfair advantage.
Cheating is detrimental to the spirit of competition and puts normal players at a disadvantage against players who use exploits for their gain. In many online games, such as Overwatch 2, cheating is a serious offense with punishments ranging from temporary suspensions to permanent account bans. Despite the bans, some cheaters circumvent their punishments by making new accounts or using different methods to continue playing and cheating. However, game developers such as Riot Games have taken stances against cheating byimplementing hardware ID bansinto their controversial Vanguard anti-cheat software.
Although cheating is still an issue inOverwatch 2,one player caught a video of Blizzard taking immediate action against a top-ranked cheater. On Reddit, anOverwatch 2player named Maximus captured video of a cheater getting banned during the middle of a match and shared their footage on the r/Overwatch subreddit. In their video, Maximus played as the healer Kiriko during a Top 500 competitive ranked match on the Busan map. During the first part of the match, which was won by the opposing team, Maximus sped up the footage and chatted with other players who reported a suspected lag switcher. In short, lag switching is done either by a physical device or a piece of software to increase the latency of a lobby server. This cheat can make other players lag out with degraded gameplay while the cheater moves about undeterred.
Overwatch 2 Top 500 Player Banned for Lag Switching During Match
While some games are hosted by player-run servers or use a peer-to-peer connection,Overwatch 2uses dedicated game servers, which makes cheating detectable on their side. Atthe end of the Busan match, a message popped up that Blizzard abruptly ended the fight due to cheating. Since the cheater was removed, all other players did not receive a win or a loss on their records. In response to Maximus' video, otherOverwatchplayers made fun of the cheater and compared their experiences to titles such asCall of Duty: Black Ops 2.
WhileOverwatch 2continues to make updatesto its heroes, the fight against cheaters continues alongside it. Only time will tell how Blizzard will keep improving the game for all players.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
