The Overwatch team is taking a step to stop console players to use converters to attach mouse and keyboard setups to XBox One and PS4, neither of which natively supports this type of configuration. According to Jeff Kaplan, game director of Overwatch, this gives a significant advantage over those who use controllers. Below is Kaplan’s post on the Overwatch Forums:
The Overwatch team objects to the use of mouse and keyboard on console.
We have contacted both first-party console manufacturers and expressed our concern about the use of mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices.
We have lobbied and will continue to lobby for first-party console manufacturers to either:
Disallow mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices
OR
Openly and easily support mouse and keyboard for ALL players
I encourage you to reach out to the hardware manufacturers and express your concerns (but please do so in a productive and respectful way).
The director also indicated that the issue cannot be solved by Blizzard without “help from our partners”, meaning Sony and Microsoft. It remains to be seen how the issue will play out over time. Also, Blizzard announced that over 22k Korean accounts had been banned for cheating and using third-party programs. The issue stems from Korean players using LAN gaming centersthat allow players to participate in Overwatch matches without purchasing the game.
This means there’s little at risk to deter cheaters from hacking their way to victory, either by downloading third-party aimbot software or “nuking”—a process that involves DDOSing their opponents connection in order to cause massive lag. If a PC bang player is banned for hacking, there’s nothing stopping them from simply creating a new account and continuing on their merry hacking way.
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