Blizzard EntertainmentBlizzard has backtracked after a firestorm erupted when an Overwatch player was permabanned for calling someone a “noob.”
Since its launch, Overwatch 2 has slowly regained favor with players thanks to new heroes, modes, and highly-requested competitive features like hero bans and map voting. But while the gameplay has improved, Blizzard’s reporting system continues to frustrate fans.
A post on the Overwatch subreddit revealed that a player was hit with a permanent suspension after being flagged for “inappropriate communications.” The chat log showed the offending words: “noob,” “?,” and “worth.”
When the player appealed, Blizzard support doubled down. “This account has received multiple penalties for this type of behavior and thus multiple opportunities to correct that behavior,” a Game Master explained. “After my review, I can confirm that the suspension was issued correctly and will be upheld.”
RedditOverwatch 2 community baffled by “noob” ban
Although ‘noob’ can be seen as an insult, it’s widely considered tame gaming slang, often used jokingly to describe someone struggling in a match. That hasn’t stopped Blizzard from handing out some extreme penalties before, though.
Community reaction was swift, with most siding with the banned player. “Unbelievably pathetic. Noob is a player title for Christ’s sake,” one comment read. Another added, “Just make filters for the babies that can’t handle words. Why is this even a thing?”
This isn’t the first time players have been punished for language that some argue is relatively harmless. In 2024, pro player Mason ‘durpee’ Kuehne was banned for typing “f**k” — a word Overwatch’s own hero Cassidy cheekily references on his belt buckle with “BAMF.”
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BlizzardIn January of last year, another player reported being suspended for typing “GG,” “yippeee,” and “nice shot.”
Blizzard reverses ban after OW2 player banned for saying “noob”
In a post on X, two days after Dexerto tweeted about the ban, Overwatch 2 announced that the player had their permaban reversed.
“Our bad,” the account wrote. “Ban reversed. You can say noob now.”
It’s rare for video game studios to directly address an individual player’s suspension in public, but this should give users hope that the devs are adjusting the filters.
On the same day, Blizzard announced it was rolling out what it calls “Real-Time Text Moderation,” a system that automatically filters offensive messages before they reach the chat. Only time will tell if the feature works as intended or if more users find themselves censored for over common gamer lingo.
