Using certain third-party programs will get Overwatch PC players banned from now on, according to a comment on the Blizzard forums. The comment came from Blizzard Community Manager Tom Power, who said that “any third-party application that impedes on the competitive integrity in Overwatch is not allowed.”
Overwatch PC Players Banned: Why Are Players Getting Banned?
The programs in question are Visor and Pursuit. Visor genuinely does impede on the “competitive integrity” of Overwatch, as it provides instant statistical feedback in-game, feeding the player knowledge about the enemy team. It seems only fair that Blizzard has deemed this program to be at odds with their Blizzard End User Licence Agreement.
However, it is odd that Blizzard has decided to add Visor to the list of forbidden programs. Pursuit is merely a statistical tool that comes into effect post-game, which helps the player to learn from what happened in that game, so that they can play better in future. Therefore, it is a non-intrusive tool that has no effect during the course of a match. There are many tools online that offer similar services, and many of these are used by professional teams.
Overwatch PC Players Banned: Why Is Pursuit Banned?
It is very strange indeed that Blizzard has opted to ban Pursuit. In fact, Overwatch League team Philadelphia Fusion had the following to say on Twitter after signing a sponsorship contract with Pursuit last month:
We are excited to announce that @PursuitGG is our official analytics partner! The Fusion will use Pursuit to better understand player performance in the @overwatchleague this upcoming season!
Pursuit has also been used by France, Australia, and Canada during this year’s Overwatch World Cup. Whether or not Blizzard will ban the tool from professional play as well is currently unknown, but it does seem strange that players are being banned for using something that has been so prominent at professional level.
You can read Blizzard’s full statement on the use of Unauthorized Third-Party Software here. As for now, it’s probably best to refrain from using any third-party tools, in case you’re hit with a permanent ban while this situation is working itself out.
