Encountering Game-Altering Bot Accounts: A Rising Issue Among Overwatch 2 Players
Overwatch 2 players are frustrated by the presence of bot-controlled accounts in their competitive lobbies, causing disruptions and spoiling the gaming experience
Highlights
Reports of thrower bots infiltrating ranked lobbies in Overwatch 2 are causing concern among players, potentially affecting the multiplayer shooter's future.
The existence of these bots, associated with recently made accounts, contributes to the gray market for smurf accounts and disrupts matchmaking systems. Blizzard has not yet taken action to address this issue and implement strategies to combat the influx of bots, thus jeopardizing fair and balanced gameplay for players. However, they have taken steps to address the cheating problem in Overwatch 2 through a significant ban wave.
As Season 7 begins in Overwatch 2, concerns arise about the presence of full squads of bots in ranked lobbies. While some players may enjoy the easier matches, this situation poses potential issues for the multiplayer shooter in the long run.
Despite recent improvements with the launch of the Overwatch 2 Invasion Update, the game's matchmaking system continues to cause problems for its player base. In addition to the unclear progression system, the community is now facing a surge in "thrower bots" in both competitive and casual lobbies. These issues, combined with cheaters and toxic teammates, create ongoing challenges for players.
Incidents of bots in competitive Overwatch 2 matches have been documented since January 2023. According to Reddit user MalinbuCola, they encountered an entire enemy team that remained in their spawn area, only moving right before being kicked for inactivity. These occurrences contribute to the perceived decline of the Overwatch 2 matchmaking experience, as recent reports suggest that this problem will persist. Another Reddit user, Bhu124, reported being paired with bot teammates and opponents for six consecutive games over a two-hour period, with multiple users sharing similar experiences in recent days.
A prevalent theory in the community is that these bots, often associated with newly created accounts, contribute to the growing gray market for Overwatch 2 smurf accounts. These bots accumulate hours of AFK gameplay and end up in the Bronze rank, allowing higher-ranking players to purchase these accounts and disrupt lower-ranked lobbies. Such practices are common in multiplayer games with high player volumes, including Overwatch 2, where bad actors exploit matchmaking systems for profit or to ruin the experience of others.
Blizzard has not released a statement addressing the issue of bot 5-stacks appearing in competitive lobbies. As there are currently no definite measures in place to combat this problem, players are still vulnerable to joining games infested with bots and lacking competitive fairness. However, it is worth noting that Blizzard has taken significant action against cheating in Overwatch 2, carrying over from the previous installment. Upon the game's release, a large-scale banning initiative removed thousands of Overwatch 2 cheaters from the servers.
Overwatch 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: MalinbuCola/Reddit
