Blizzard outlines its new Defense Matrix system for Overwatch 2, which will promote positive behavior and seek to root out cheating and disruptive play. Overwatch 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to 2015's team-based shooter. Releasing on October 4, Blizzard is gearing up for a big launch with Overwatch 2 and has made multiple changes to the new title compared to its predecessor. Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play, for example, unlike the original Overwatch, meaning more players will theoretically be able to access the game.

With Overwatch 2 being a free-to-play, competitive shooter, there is some concern that cheaters and disruptive players could infiltrate the game. Overwatch did have some problems with cheaters, and back in 2017 a pro player was banned for trying to get their fans to cheat. However, Blizzard has already outlined a few ways that it will try to prevent cheating and disruptive play in Overwatch 2. For example, a player will have to connect a phone number to their account in Overwatch 2 in order to launch the game.

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This and other measures are part of what Blizzard is terming its Defense Matrix for Overwatch 2. According to a blog post made on Blizzard's official website, the Defense Matrix has been created to make a safer Overwatch 2 community, nurture programs that ensure a "positive experience for all players," and maintain competitive integrity by eliminating cheaters and disruptive players. A lot of these competitive changes are clear to see lower down in the blog post and they include the removal of the general chat feature, a new ping system, and alterations to the pre-match screen, which will no longer feature player levels and ranks.

A lot of the aforementioned features work to remove negative player biases and the possibility of toxic interactions taking place during an Overwatch 2 match. It seems Blizzard is putting a heavy focus on first-time players in Overwatch 2, as a new feature is being introduced in the upcoming shooter known as the First Time User Experience or FTUE. The FTUE will assist newer players who might feel overwhelmed by the amount of heroes, game modes, and more that were immediately available in the original Overwatch by giving them a more gradual introduction to the game.

With all these changes, it's clear that Overwatch 2 will be a vastly different beast from the original Overwatch. Alongside these alterations to competitive matchmaking and the introduction of the Defense Matrix, another new feature for Overwatch 2 is its battle pass, which has proven to be quite the controversial addition.

Overwatch 2 launches in early access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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Source: Blizzard