Overwatch 2 will record voice chats to identify ‘disruptive behavior’

Overwatch 2 will collect temporary voice chats of reported players in an effort to cut down on disruptive behavior once Blizzard’s free-to-play shooter launches on Oct. 4.

A recent blog post by Blizzard explains that the speech-to text tool will be used to transcribe a voice recording and then will remove the clip from the transcript. Blizzard’s “chat review tools” will then examine the transcript to deem whether a reported players has engaged in disruptive behavior. Within 30 days of the transcription taking place, the transcript will also be removed.

“This system relies on players reporting disruptive behavior as soon as they encounter it in game because we do not store voice chat data long term,” Blizzard said. “This means you should report disruptive behavior as it’s occurring in-game to give us the best chance at detecting, catching, and preventing disruptive players. Your reports matter — player reporting is one of the most effective methods for identifying and actioning disruptive behavior as quickly as possible.”

This practice is part of what Blizzard calls Defense Matrix (a reference to D.Va’s shield ability). It’s a collection of systems and teams meant to combat cheating and promote positive behavior in Overwatch 2. Blizzard was cited in the blog post Overwatch going free-to-play — and the larger player pool that may result from that — as the reason for developing an expanded set of tools to monitor player behavior.

Even with the propulsive energy Overwatch 2 in the review phase, the lead-up to the shooter’s early access launch hasn’t been without its share of complexities. We’ve explained how the game’s free and premium battle passes will work, and outlined the ways in which Blizzard is overhauling its competitive mode. We have one last tip that will help players who want to access all the content. Overwatch 2’s heroes at its Oct. 4 launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.