‘Overwatch’ News: Blizzard Issues Warning, Story Confirmed To Have New Content Waiting

Players in Overwatch are getting the ban hammer, and for good reason.

Competitive play in Overwatch is serious. If you’ve been in the trenches to raise your score or measure your skill in placement battles, it’s a good chance that you’ve seen how great the struggle can be. Players will put together team compositions designed to overcome and destroy the opposition. Unfortunately, the advantages that some players seek isn’t limited to what they can do with a certain hero.

A report by Express confirms that players who have been found cheating in Overwatch are getting banned and that mouse and keyboard users on consoles are getting warned. It seems as though such a thing was inevitable for those who play on PC. Mods and the like are more accessible on a computer than on a console, and it’s safe to say that competition for PC players is different for a variety of reasons. Using keyboards and a mouse instead of your standard console controller, precision is arguably much better on PC. As a result, it looks as though console users have begun to switch to the former.

A blog post by Blizzard discusses their thoughts on the use of controllers and keyboards on consoles.

“The Overwatch team objects to the use of mouse and keyboard on console,” the blog states.

It’s interesting that Blizzard feels this way, as the PlayStation 4 was designed with mouse and keyboard functionality. Those who play MMOs such as Final Fantasy XIV make use of this feature, leading one to wonder why Blizzard seems to have a negative view on the use of these tools.

Blizzard has gone so far as to contact manufacturers in regards to Overwatch and the use of mouse and keyboards on console.

“We have contacted both first-party console manufacturers and expressed our concern about the use of mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices.”

Could we see some sort of repercussion as a result of Blizzard’s warning? It doesn’t seem as though any consequences have come just yet, but it’s certainly a nervous moment for players who have been using mouse and keyboard on the regular.

Blizzard continued in their post, requesting fairness toward all players in Overwatch.

“We have lobbied and will continue to lobby for first-party console manufacturers to either: Disallow mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices OR openly and easily support mouse and keyboard for ALL players.”

Finally, developers go so far as to support players in their inquiry to manufacturers about the equal use of all components that could lend an advantage.

“I encourage you to reach out to the hardware manufacturers and express your concerns (but please do so in a productive and respectful way).”

Of course, it’s not as if the warning being issued is unfair. Reports have come through of Blizzard having to ban individuals from playing using illegal hacks.

Overwatch is also reportedly getting more story content. The current event, Year of the Rooster, is taking place and giving players a new game mode to explore. The design is much like “Capture The Flag,” and it will lead into much more content for players. Fenix Bazaar reports that the lead developer has confirmed that there is much more story involved for Overwatch. This comes as a nice surprise, and it could mean that there are more heroes on their way to being added to the roster.

Do you feel that using a keyboard and a mouse on console should be supported? If not, do you believe that it would be the difference between a win or a loss when up against PC players? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Featured Image By Blizzard]