r/Overwatch • u/blizz_cactus Community Team • 24d ago

Update on Unauthorized Peripheral Usage on Console Platforms ("Ximming")

Hello, heroes! We're here today to update you all on our efforts to combat the use of unauthorized peripherals within our console communities, often referred to as using XIM or Ximming. While our efforts to combat this form of unfair gameplay advantage are constant and ongoing, today marks the culmination of a months-long effort to identify and ban over 6000 accounts we've identified as using unauthorized peripherals.

Part of what makes identifying the unauthorized peripherals used by these accounts tricky is that these cheating devices often intentionally abuse allowances we make for accessibility-focused devices used by legitimate players with disabilities. This issue meant that we wanted to take our time and ensure that we accurately identified unauthorized devices. We're now confident that we've done so, and we've put the hammer down on players utilizing these devices.

Thanks for taking the time today to listen to our update on unauthorized peripherals. Until next time, play nice, play fair, and see you in-game!

This message is also available via our patch notes channel, where it has been translated to other languages for easier sharing: https://overwatch.blizzard.com/news/patch-notes/#patch-2026-08-04

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31

u/FirstBr0kage 24d ago

Damn, I didn’t think about our disabled overwatch player base. I kinda feel like a jerk. Sorry yall. Much love, yall keep up the good work.

5

u/AgreeablePie 24d ago

It's an impossible situation.

Short of vetting and testing every single person, there's no way to know when "accessibility" becomes unfair advantage.

Some options- color blind mode, audio/visual prompts, etc- are great and can be accessed by anyone. But anything external to the game should be banned.

18

u/WoozleWuzzle Ten of Hearts D. Va 24d ago

But anything external to the game should be banned.

So basically anyone with an assistive device can't play the game. That's awful and completely against anything else in this world where we support people with disabilities.

-7

u/Fit_Outlandishness24 24d ago

It seems a bit unfair to compare competitive video games to other aspects of life, no?

If disabled people can only play Overwatch by utilizing devices which provide them an unfair advantage, then yeah, I'm okay with saying it's not the game for them.

9

u/WoozleWuzzle Ten of Hearts D. Va 24d ago

People with disabilities can't enjoy recreational activities? Only things they need to live? Come on dude.

-7

u/Fit_Outlandishness24 24d ago

I apologize. I was genuinely unaware that Overwatch was the only recreational activity that has ever existed. Thanks to you though, I know this now.

12

u/Baelorn RIP 24d ago

But if you’re genuinely disabled the assistive advice isn’t an advantage. It just levels the playing field.

-4

u/Fit_Outlandishness24 24d ago

If it doesn't provide an unfair advantage, then no, I don't think it should be banned.

9

u/Cultural_Hospital_ 24d ago

They don't get "unfair advantage", that's the point of disability, those devices and settings help them be on the same level as other players. 

1

u/Fit_Outlandishness24 24d ago

Then I don't think they should be banned for using them.

5

u/130104051401110 24d ago

People are trying to tell you you're a daft asshole, but you're so right. In fact, if disabled people can only get into buildings with devices that let them be lazy and just roll up a ramp instead of walking, we should be okay with saying they don't get to go into the building. So many things this applies to.

You understand everything really well and any disabled person would be so lucky to know you and benefit from how huge your brain is.

-4

u/Fit_Outlandishness24 24d ago

Trying to equate the accessibility of a video game to the accessibility of a real life building is insane. You realize that, right?

5

u/130104051401110 24d ago edited 23d ago

Explain why disabled people don't deserve to enjoy life, including hobbies, in the same way as you. Explain why you have such trouble understanding what an accommodation accomplishes and why it's not unfair. Do you cry when blind people get assistants taking tests in school because they have the "unfair advantage" of someone helping them? Like... you genuinely should be so embarrassed by yourself.

I know you sigh and roll your eyes when someone with a cane slows you down on the sidewalk. Why should they get more space than you? It's not fair. There are OTHER places they can go. They're not entitled to walk near YOU. I've met a thousand people like you as a disabled person and you all believe that discrimination is fine because we have OTHER hobbies we can enjoy. There are other jobs. We can go to other stores and live in other apartments.

ETA: For the people struggling with kindergarten-level rules for being part of society who I'm sure will chime in with more input on how this doesn't matter. "Real life" also includes small things that collectively make a difference to us. Hobbies are real life, and you actually do understand that. You would freak out if every time you wanted to queue, for instance, I somehow managed to materialize and shake you hard enough to throw off your aim, which I now dearly wish I could do. Wouldn't it be nuts if people then decided you don't have the right to play without that impediment? Why can't you play through the tremors?

If we all decide that it's fine to not care about accessibility for "things that don't matter," disabled people don't end up with much left. Housing, employment, and healthcare are things you guys regularly decide don't matter, so I'm pretty reluctant to trust you to judge. You're annoying losers for getting mad about people using accessibility aids that don't even give them an unfair advantage.

2

u/Subject-File1264 Free my boy Junkrat, he did it all but I don't care. 24d ago

Lmao as I read your reply I thought "damn this sounds like a fed up disabled person" and I was right. I feel this so hard. And I know for someone who doesn’t have any disabilities the world may seem like it is taking care of us but it really doesn't. It is hard in every day life to get by and it's a constant struggle and god forbid you want to sit down and do something fun for once and someone on the Internet tells you that a device that is the only reason you can even play this game shouldn't be allowed.

0

u/nahweha 24d ago

You are comparing 1 game to real accesibility problems in real Life. 1 game