OneOverwatch 2player has shared a message with the community both to thank a friendly Genji player that they recently played with, and to remind the community how important it is to be kind to other players. Though many in the community offer a friendly and often hilarious gaming experience for their teammates, the size and diversity ofOverwatch 2’s community along with the competitive nature of the game has unfortunately made toxicity fairly common.
Overwatch 2introduced a long list of additions with its launchearlier last month. Beside the new heroes, maps, and modes, the game also implemented a variety of features intended to reduce toxicity and cheating in the game space.Overwatch 2’s “Defense Matrix” introduced features such as SMS protect, a first-time user experience, changes to how levels are presented, and more. Though many in the community have taken issue with some of these changes, they’ve certainly helped to reduce disruptive behavior seen in matches.
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The user VGA_RA on Reddit made a post thanking a supportive Genji player that joined them in a recent game. The friendly player used the in-game chat to ask everyone on the team how they were doing, which gave VGA_RA the opportunity to vent their frustrations after a stressful day. The Genji cheered the team on and, after helping them win the match, said that they hope everyone was having a better day now. The author of the post was touched by this interaction, andwent on to remind theOverwatch 2communityhow impactful it can be to simply be kind and supportive to fellow players.
While the Defense Matrix initiative has done much to improve positivity, it’s safe to say that it hasn’t eliminated toxicity entirely, andOverwatch 2’s identity as a free-to-playgame has brought in heaps of new players that are often treated poorly by experienced fans. Due to the competitive nature of the culture surroundingOverwatch 2, many players focus largely on the skill level of their teammates, and it’s not uncommon for some in the community to blame and criticize their allies following a defeat.
WhileOverwatch 2’s Defense Matrix initiativewas designed with good intentions, many in the community were upset with some of the features it introduced around the time of the game’s release. Some were uncomfortable with the fact that conversations from the game’s voice chat could be recorded and transcribed, and a large portion of players even faced login issues due to problems with the SMS protect feature.
While competitive players understandably focus on victory above other things, posts like theseshould remind all players thatOverwatch 2is still just a game. It has served as a platform over the years for communities to grow and friendships to be made, and every player should do their part to eliminate hate and spread kindness instead.
Overwatch 2is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
