Skip to main content

Quitters Never Win: Leave mid-game in Overwatch too often and you could be banned for a season

overwatch penalizing for leaving mid game roadhog image
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Are you bored? Is your computer acting up? Has your home been hit by a power surge? Or was the level of play not cutting it? None of this matters when you’re in Competitive Play mode in the hit multiplayer FPS OverwatchIn a new added feature, Blizzard Entertainment penalizes players for bailing out mid-game. While the Competitive Play mode is only available to users beta testing it right now, a user on an Overwatch subreddit posted a screencap showing the potential new penalties from the game.

“Warning, penalties for leaving,” the screen alert reads. “Repeatedly leaving games will result in a 75% penalty to XP earned.” Additionally, you can be suspended from competitive play for increasing periods of time, up to receiving a ban for the entire season.

In the game’s Quick Play mode, users who leave mid-game simply receive a warning, and upon each mid-game exit after that occurrence, they’ll get a 75 percent XP loss. But if users continue playing to a “threshold of Quick Play games played vs. games completed,” the penalty is removed, Polygon reports.

The more serious penalties in Competitive Play mode mark a pretty strong stance from Blizzard against those who consistently break the rules. After launching the game, more than 1,500 cheaters were booted permanently worldwide. The video game developer/publisher even went so far to publicly list the Battle.net names of the users who had broken the Terms of Use through hacking programs or alternative cheating methods.

While Blizzard will continue tweaking Overwatch’s Competitive Play mode, expect its strong stance against those who break the rules to continue. It will likely keep developing new methods to either prevent or punish, in an attempt to put an end to unfair play in its game.

Harrison Kaminsky
Harrison’s obsession in the tech space originated in his father’s electronics store in Denville, New Jersey, where he…
Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works
Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Read more
Surfaced patent shows what an Xbox streaming console would’ve looked like
An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

There have been a few Xbox devices that have never come to fruition, one of which was Keystone, a prototype for an affordable game streaming device you could hook up to your TV or monitor. Thanks to a surfaced patent, we've gotten an even closer look at what it would've potentially looked like.

The patent, first spotted by Windows Central, gives us a more complete view of the device. We've previously seen the Keystone in the flesh. Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer is known for hiding teases and interesting collectibles on the shelf in his office. In a 2022 X (formerly Twitter) post congratulating Bethesda on Fallout's 25th anniversary, you can see a small white device on the top shelf that's actually a Keystone prototype. Xbox told Digital Trends that it was a version of the device made before it decided to "refocus our efforts on a new approach.”

Read more
Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for June 28
Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

We have the solution to Wordle on June 28, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We've placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don't ruin the surprise before you've had a chance to work through the clues. So let's dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday's answer.
Yesterday's Wordle answer
Let's start by first reminding ourselves of yesterday's Wordle answer for those new to the game or who don't play it daily, which was "ORDER." So we can say that the Wordle answer today definitely isn't that. Now, with that in mind, perhaps take another stab at it using one of these Wordle starting words and circle back if you have no luck.
Hints for today's Wordle
Still can't figure it out? We have today's Wordle answer right here, below. But first, one more thing: Let's take a look at three hints that could help you find the solution, without giving it away, so there's no need to feel guilty about keeping your streak alive -- you put in some work, after all! Or just keep scrolling for the answer.

Today’s Wordle includes the letter D.
Today’s Wordle uses two vowels.
Today's Wordle can refer to a large number of animals, particularly livestock like cattle or sheep, that are moving together in a group.

Read more