Overwatch is already a huge hit for Blizzard — between its impressive first week player count and the countless memes related to the game being posted online, it's clear that the game is finding a healthy audience. Now, the studio is making steps to ensure that the experience doesn't sour.

A multiplayer game like Overwatch could easily be ruined if enough players are using cheats to gain the upper hand. As such, Blizzard has filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for one of the most popular cheat programs used alongside the game.

Watchover Tyrant is the German-made utility that's being clamped down on, according to a report from VG247. The package gives cheaters access to a whole host of abilities, with a tweak that makes enemies visible no matter where they are on the map having a particular impact on gameplay.

The suit centers around the fact that Watchover Tyrant developer Bossland Hack infringed on Blizzard's copyrights by creating the tool. Moreover, the developer actually announced plans to improve the utility once Blizzard announced plans to clamp down on cheaters.

Bossland Hack is thought to have made millions from Watchover Tyrant, not to mention the similar utilities it offers for games like World of Warcraft, Diablo III and Heroes of the Storm. If Blizzard's legal action is successful, the results could be catastrophic for the German developer.

That said, it's easy to see why Blizzard is taking such a hard line on players that seek out an unfair advantage. If cheating becomes the norm in Overwatch, then it won't take long for the more honest element of the player count to move on to a game that offers a more level playing field.

We need only to look at The Division to see the negative effect that cheating can have on an online game. Once exploits were found, it didn't take long for details to be shared online — and afterwards, some players argued that the experience was ruined, with no hopes of being salvaged.

Blizzard can't risk the same outcome with Overwatch, so it makes sense that the studio is taking serious action against Bossland Hack. If the shooter can maintain its popularity, it could help fund major projects that are currently in the pipeline, but it's audience will soon migrate if cheating becomes the norm.

Overwatch is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Source: VG247