Blizzard is currently testing voice chat transcriptions in Overwatch 2 to combat “disruptive behaviour”

Blizzard has began testing audio transcription in Overwatch 2 in an effort to combat again in opposition to verbal abuse within the sport’s voice chat.

In the newest patch notes for Overwatch 2, Blizzard confirmed that it has begun to roll out its audio transcription function as part of its Defence Matrix initiative (thanks, Eurogamer). The function is simply accessible for PC gamers in choose nations for the time being, so in case you’re not seeing it that will probably be why.

This function primarily makes use of audio transcriptions of the voice chat that permits Blizzard to “analyse a transcript from a brief voice chat recording of a reported participant. Gamers will now see a notification when getting into voice chat for the primary time throughout a play session indicating that voice chat could also be recorded.”

The put up notes that when you have this function, to verify to report the disruptive behaviour as near the purpose it occurred as potential, to maximise its effectiveness. “As soon as reported, a brief audio recording will probably be used to make a textual content file transcript by way of speech-to-text applications. Nobody listens to the short-term audio recording, which is rapidly deleted after being transcribed. Transcriptions are solely made for studies of disruptive behaviour in public voice channels, which incorporates workforce and match chat—group “get together” chat is excluded.”

Toxicity has lengthy been a difficulty in Overwatch voice chat, as it’s in lots of on-line shooters, however Blizzard has by no means actually achieved sufficient to correctly fight it. Clearly we’ll have to attend and see how efficient this function is, because it requires the moderation workforce to correctly reply to every report of harassment appropriately, however it will be good if there have been precise penalties for those that prefer to make fools of themselves in voice chat.

In a separate current weblog put up, Blizzard additionally touched on the way it plans to alter the battle cross with future seasons, because it admits that it is not fairly glad with the way it at present rewards participant development.