Blizzard promises to permanently ban Overwatch cheats

With the launch of its multiplayer hero-shooter, Overwatch, just around the corner, Blizzard has taken some time out to lay down the law. 

Writing on the battle.net forums, Blizzard told players that cheating won't go unpunished. In fact, anyone caught breaking the rules -- whether by use of hacks, bots, or third-party software -- will be permanently banned. 

"Not only does cheating undermine the spirit of fair play that all of our products are based on, but it works to diminish the fun and enjoyment of others," reasoned Blizzard. 

"While we are unlikely to publicly acknowledge when accounts are closed as a result of cheating or using unauthorized programs, we have and will continue to monitor Overwatch for exploitative behavior, as well as take action as needed to preserve the integrity of game."

Players are being asked to contact Blizzard regarding potential cheaters, with the developer already implementing a few fixes and tweaks as a result of complaints filed during the beta. 

Of course, the World of Warcraft creator is also asking that players think before they act, as sometimes, "cheating" might just be down to another player being that little bit better. 

Overwatch will launch on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on May 24. The beta for the game was the biggest in Blizzard's history, pulling in 9.7 million players across all platforms.