Overwatch Competitive Bans For Leaving Games Repeatedly Will Last Entire Seasons

Blizzard has made a strong move towards ensuring that Overwatch competitive play remains fair, by introducing a penalty system that can lead to players receiving a ban for an entire season.

A prompt that appears when players attempt to leave a competitive game outlines the penalties they could incur for doing so consistently. It reads:

“Repeatedly leaving games will result in a 75% penalty to XP earned. Additionally, you can be suspended from competitive play for increasing periods of time, up to receiving a ban for the entire season.”

The success of competitive play inevitably hinges upon teamwork, and if players routinely leave sessions if their team is underperforming then this would prove to be hugely detrimental to the new mode. By outlining these heavy punishments, Blizzard will dissuade people from giving up on matches midway through, which will lead to a better experience for everyone.


This addition is the latest in a long line of hugely player-pleasing moves from Blizzard. The company has been excellent when it has come to communicating with Overwatch‘s community since the game was released, providing frequent updates and blog posts outlining changes and improvements to the shooter.

Overwatch Competitive Play is currently available by way of a Public Region Test, which allows PC players to access the mode’s beta before its full release later this month. The beta is not open to PS4 and Xbox One players.