During the GDC last week, Blizzard was on hand to discuss the endorsement system added to Overwatch last summer. Endorsements allow you to recognize the positive behavior for sportsmanship, being a good teammate or for shot calling. Players who maintain a high endorsement level consistently can receive periodic rewards.
Blizzard’s Natasha Miller said that in-game toxicity – or disruptive behavior – is down 40% since the introduction of the endorsement feature.
“It’s a difference between physical and online communities,” Miller said (via Variety). “If you’re constantly tardy and you only do the bare minimum at work, you’re not going to get promoted. You have to watch someone else who does the work get the raise… In online communities, there are usually no consequences for bad behavior and no rewards for star players. We wanted the community to have their own reward system.”
