Leaving an Overwatch 2 match prematurely can get you in trouble, leading to penalties like waiting times or a drop in your skill rating. However, Twitch streamer Mason “durpee” Kuehne stumbled upon a loophole that lets players exit without facing any consequences. Despite the community’s cries for stricter repercussions, Blizzard has yet to address this exploit.
Kuehne demonstrated this discovery while playing as Reinhardt. He shared a video where he left a match to add another player. Surprisingly, upon returning, the game didn’t flag him. Instead, it just replayed his character’s recent demise, with no penalties or skill rating loss following his brief absence from the match. Interestingly, these revelations were made during a casual 6v6 matchup.
In Overwatch 2, Blizzard aims to maintain a level playing field by deterring players from leaving matches. Abandon two or three times in non-ranked play, and you’ll hit a penalty pause starting at 2 minutes, which can extend to up to 48 hours with repeated offenses. Competitive play enacts even stricter measures, potentially resulting in season bans and losing out on rewards for leaving intentionally.
As the community grapples with players who dodge matches, the calls for tougher penalties grow louder. Through various seasons, Blizzard has tightened its stance. By Season 10, policies were stricter, hitting leavers hard while simultaneously allowing friends to team up competitively regardless of their rank differences.
Though Blizzard hasn’t officially responded to the exploit highlighted by durpee, given his influence in the community, it’s likely only a matter of time. Players should steer clear of leveraging this loophole to sidestep match penalties, as risks, including potential bans, loom heavily over violators.
