Overwatch 2 leaver penalties explained

Modified May 05, 2024 04:56 GMT

Blizzard Entertainment has introduced new Overwatch 2 leaver penalties in Season 10. Exiting an ongoing match is never a good idea, as it not only puts your team at a disadvantage but also makes the experience less enjoyable for everyone on the server. In the competitive ranked mode, where games are taken much more seriously, abandoning a match can be a major issue.

Because of this, Blizzard has made some significant changes concerning how a player is penalized for leaving a match before its end. This article will discuss the new Overwatch 2 leaver penalties in Season 10.

Overwatch 2 leaver penalties in Season 10, Explained

Overwatch 2 leaver penalties (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

(Note: The penalties for unranked/quick play have been revised. We have provided the updated penalties in a table towards the end.)

A new penalty system has been implemented for both Quick Play and Competitive Play in Overwatch 2. It bans players from queuing up for a new match after they leave a match. However, the extent of the penalties depends on the game mode you’re playing, as evidenced by the image above.

Leaving matches repeatedly also moves you into the Leaver status, which is visible on your player card. This card also shows how many games are required to be played to remove the leaver status.

Here is how the leaver penalties work for both game modes in Overwatch 2 Season 10.

Quick Play/Unranked

Unranked: leaver penalties in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

In Unranked, the player is initially given a warning after the first game they abandon. If they do it again (2-3 games), they're granted a two-minute ban. If players leave for a fourth and fifth time, then a 10-minute ban is implemented. It's worth noting that the game looks at your last twenty games to dish out these punishments.

Abandoning more games leads to being banned from queuing for a significant period. Six to nine left games in the last 20 matches will result in a two-hour ban, while leaving more than 10 gets you suspended for 48 hours.

Overwatch 2 Quick Play leaver penalty update

Games left (out of 20 games)	New Penalty	Previous Penalty
2-3	2 minutes	5 minutes
4-5	10 minutes	20 minutes
6-9	2 hours	4 hours
more than 10	48 hours	48 hours

Competitive/Ranked

Ranked: leaver penalties in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

In Ranked, the Overwatch 2 leaver penalties are much harsher. Also counted among the last 20 games played, the first match you abandon will earn you a 15-minute suspension. This will be followed by a two-hour ban for the second game you leave, an eight-hour ban for the third, and a twenty-hour ban when you leave the fourth game.

Moreover, an entire season-long suspension is implemented when the player decides to leave the fifth game. The same ban is implemented for any player who leaves a total of ten games at any time in the competitive season.

Also read: How to reach Champion rank in Overwatch 2?

Views on New Penalty System in Overwatch 2

While this new penalty system might seem extreme to some, it is indeed for the better. Overwatch 2 is taken quite seriously by many competitive players and abandonment ruins the experience for all. Keeping this in mind, the developers have taken a strong stance against leavers.

This covers everything you need to know about the new Overwatch 2 leaver penalties in Season 10.

For more related news, guides, and tier lists, consider checking out other Overwatch 2 articles: