Santa just got a new resource when deciding who has been naughty and who has been nice. Blizzard has posted a “discipline tracker” that outs Overwatch pros who have violated the Overwatch League rules of competition and code of conduct.
This is a public list on the Overwatch League website that will detail which pros have infractions against them, and what disciplinary action has been taken. On day 1 it already has a list of 7 pros who have violated the rules in ways such as account boosting, account sharing, and even “toxicity”. That last one is definitely understandable in the world of professional sports where athletes are held accountable for their conduct while representing their organization (NBA players can be fined thousands of dollars for language infractions alone), but for gamers on the internet being scolded for bad manners and conduct could be tough to get used to. These players represent not only the game itself but whatever brand they have been sponsored by, and I am sure they will be glad that their pros now have a tangible form of accountability.
Blizzard said about the list, “The following list does not include players who are not currently under contract with an Overwatch League team but might face suspension or fines should they return to league play. In addition, players who have previously served penalties while playing in Contenders are generally not subject to further discipline upon joining the Overwatch League.”
| DATE | PLAYER | TEAM | INFRACTION AND ACTION TAKEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 21 | Damon “Apply” Conti | Florida Mayhem | Suspended two games for account boosting. |
| Dec. 21 | Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse | Boston Uprising | Suspended two games for account boosting. |
| Dec. 21 | Shilong “Krystal” Cai | Hangzhou Spark | Suspended one game for account boosting. |
| Dec. 21 | Se-Hyun “Neko” Park | Toronto Defiant | Suspended three games for account boosting, account sharing, and obstructing league office investigation. |
| Dec. 21 | Riku “Ripa” Toivanen | Los Angeles Gladiators | Suspended five games for throwing matches and toxicity. |
| Dec. 21 | Won-Jae “Rise” Lee | Guangzhou Charge | Fined $1,000 for account sharing. |
| Dec. 21 | MinKi “Violet” Park | San Francisco Shock | Suspended two games for account boosting. |
Blizzard also stated, “As players join the Overwatch League, the league office conducts a full review of their conduct and, where appropriate, takes disciplinary action. While the league reviews each case on its own, key factors informing the level of discipline include both the severity and recency of the actions under review. During the season, the league office will continue to evaluate infractions and take action as needed.”
This isn’t the first time Blizzard has outed the pros who have misbehaved, having doled out individual punishments in the past, but now there is a one stop shop for all of your “who done goofed?” answers!
