Blizzard is taking aggressive new steps to combat toxicity in Overwatch 2, including plans to create a system that will record all voice chats and issue bans based on transcript analysis performed by “chat viewer tools”.
Overwatch, like many other shooters, tackled bad player behavior from the start, such as using machine learning to combat abusive chat, which seemed to have a positive effect. Back in November 2020, then-president J. Allen Brack stated that the technology had resulted in “an incredible reduction not only in toxic text chats, but in an overall reduction in reoffending.”
Read also:
Learn how to improve FPS in Warzone
Advanced Tips for Upgrading in Warzone
Halo Master Chief Collection Tips
The best shooting games
An update system expected to launch shortly after the release of Overwatch 2 will expand on these features by enabling automatic transcription of voice chat recordings when disturbing behavior is reported. Once the transcript is complete, it will be checked for misconduct using Blizzard’s built-in tools. Blizzard did not say what would happen if positive results were found, aside from a vague statement that the new transcription tool would “allow employees to act in abusive voice chat.”
Overwatch 2 will record conversations, but erase them soon
It is important to note that no recorded or decrypted data will be stored for a long time, Blizzard said: audio files will be deleted “quickly” after decryption, and decrypted text files will be deleted within 30 days of their creation.
“This system relies on players reporting disruptive behavior as soon as they encounter it in-game because we don’t store long-term voice chat data,” Blizzard explained. “This means that you must report toxic behavior that occurs in the game to give us the best chance of detecting, catching and preventing abusive players as quickly as possible.”
While the prospect of “someone listening to my conversation all the time” is a little unsettling, Overwatch 2 isn’t actually the first game to use this technology. Valorant, which began testing a “voice rating” system in July, faced initial reaction to the news that wasn’t entirely positive, with many players expressing concerns about a corporate intrusion and the actual fate of the collected data, but that wasn’t the case. , does not appear to have had a significant negative impact on the game or player numbers, and in fact the company appears to be upping the ante on this system.
Along with automatic voice recording, starting October 4, Blizzard will also require all Overwatch players on all platforms, including consoles, to have a phone number associated with their Battle.net account if they want to play Overwatch 2. Per account The entry will require a unique phone number and some types of numbers, including prepaid and VOIP numbers, cannot be used. Since Overwatch 2 is released in a free-to-play model, it is more vulnerable than ever to multi-account scammers in the game. Blizzard has stated that SMS Protect is known to serve two purposes: protect the account from theft and make it harder for banned players to access.
“Overwatch 2 gives us the opportunity to continue leveling up and improving our systems to combat disruptive behavior and cheating in ways that a simple update would not allow.”, Blizzard said. Overwatch 2 is scheduled to release on October 4th and will completely replace the original Overwatch. The voice recording transcription system is expected to be operational “in the coming weeks.”
Talk to us in the comments and let us know if you liked this news and take the opportunity to read more news on our website.
Source : Married Games
