Overwatch Contenders Tournament Series to Test Chat Moderation Program

By Stefanie Fogel

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Overwatch Contenders is trialing a new chat moderation program that requires users to link their Blizzard Battle.net and Twitch accounts, “” developer Blizzard Entertainment announced in a post on Wednesday.

Overwatch Contenders is a tournament series for aspiring professional players who want to make it into the Overwatch League. Blizzard will test the new chat moderation program during 2018 Season 3 quarterfinals matches across all regions, it said. Those matches take place from Dec. 28 through Jan. 12. The Overwatch Contenders Path to Pro team will then evaluate the program’s effectiveness at creating a more positive viewing experience.

Toxicity is a common problem for both social platforms like Twitch and online games like “Overwatch.” But, it looks like Blizzard is making an effort to combat the problem. Earlier this month, the developer revealed it’s maintaining a list of Overwatch League players who violate the organization’s code of conduct throughout the upcoming 2019 season. Seven players have already faced fines and/or suspensions for various infractions, including account boosting, match throwing, and toxicity.

Under the new chat program, Blizzard said Overwatch Contenders viewers who try to chat with unlinked accounts will receive an automatic reply and be prompted to link them. There’s no word yet on whether or not Blizzard plans to implement the program in the Overwatch League.

Overwatch Contenders Week 7 begins on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. ET with a match between Mayhem Academy and Kungarna.