Overwatch 2 will record every naughty word you say in voice chat

pcgamer.com:

Blizzard is taking aggressive new steps to tackle toxicity in Overwatch 2, including plans for a system that will record all voice chat(opens in new tab) and issue bans based on transcription analysis conducted by «chat review tools.»

Overwatch, like so many other shooters, has struggled with crappy player behavior pretty much from the start: In October 2017, not much more than a year after it launched, we said that Blizzard's failure to curb toxicity undermines the game's inclusive message(opens in new tab). A couple years later, Blizzard talked about using machine learning(opens in new tab) to combat abusive chat, which seemed to have a positive effect: In November 2020, then-president J. Allen Brack said the technology had resulted in «an incredible decrease(opens in new tab) not only in toxic text chat, but an overall decrease in re-offense rates.»

The updated system, expected to go live shortly after Overwatch 2 comes out, will expand on those capabilities by incorporating automatic transcriptions of voice chat recordings when disruptive behavior is reported. Once the transcription is complete, it will be analyzed for misconduct using Blizzard's internal tools. Blizzard didn't say what will happen in the case of positive results, beyond stating vaguely that the new transcription tool «will enable the team to act on abusive voice chat.»

Importantly, none of the recorded or transcribed data will be kept long-term, Blizzard said: Audio files will be erased «quickly» after they're transcribed, and the transcribed text files will be deleted within 30 days of their creation.

«This system relies on players reporting disruptive behavior as soon as they encounter it in game because we do not store voice chat data long term,»