We Won’t Pay to Be Silenced: Remove Hero Bans from Overwatch
We Won’t Pay to Be Silenced: Remove Hero Bans from Overwatch
The Issue
Overwatch was built on choice, expression, and hero identity. Hero bans break all of that.
We, the undersigned players, pledge not to spend money on Overwatch until hero bans are removed from Competitive play.
❌ Why Hero Bans Hurt the Game:
1. Overwatch is built on identity—not just comps.
We don’t just play heroes—we connect with them. For many of us, they’re more than mechanics—they’re part of our expression, comfort, or neurodivergent stability.
2. Hero bans delete mastery.
When a hero is banned, it doesn’t matter how much we’ve practiced, how long we’ve climbed, or what skins we’ve bought. It’s just... gone. Banned by strangers before the match even begins.
3. It breaks trust—and kills motivation.
Why would we spend money on cosmetics or battle passes for heroes we might not even be allowed to use? This system devalues the time, effort, and emotional investment we’ve made.
4. It excludes players—hard.
Some players’ favorite heroes are banned every game. They never get to play what they love. It’s not about balance—it’s about being voted out of your own game.
5. “Just play QP” is not an answer.
Competitive is where many of us actually want to learn and grow. Quick Play isn’t the same—it lacks structure, team cohesion, and real stakes.
6. Bans solve problems that don’t exist.
Overwatch already has frequent balance patches. If a hero is overperforming, tune them. Don’t remove them. And don’t let players weaponize the system to grief or spite one-tricks.
✋ Our Pledge:
We will not spend money on Overwatch until forced hero bans are removed.
No battle passes. No bundles. No cosmetics.
We’re not asking for everything. We’re asking for the right to play the heroes we love. That’s what Overwatch was built on—and it’s what’s being taken away.
✅ What We Want:
Remove bans from Competitive
Or move them to a separate queue
Or restrict them to high-tier ranked only
Let us play. Let us express. Let Overwatch feel like Overwatch again.
If you agree, sign and share this petition.
Let Blizzard know: you can’t sell identity and then ban it.
7
The Issue
Overwatch was built on choice, expression, and hero identity. Hero bans break all of that.
We, the undersigned players, pledge not to spend money on Overwatch until hero bans are removed from Competitive play.
❌ Why Hero Bans Hurt the Game:
1. Overwatch is built on identity—not just comps.
We don’t just play heroes—we connect with them. For many of us, they’re more than mechanics—they’re part of our expression, comfort, or neurodivergent stability.
2. Hero bans delete mastery.
When a hero is banned, it doesn’t matter how much we’ve practiced, how long we’ve climbed, or what skins we’ve bought. It’s just... gone. Banned by strangers before the match even begins.
3. It breaks trust—and kills motivation.
Why would we spend money on cosmetics or battle passes for heroes we might not even be allowed to use? This system devalues the time, effort, and emotional investment we’ve made.
4. It excludes players—hard.
Some players’ favorite heroes are banned every game. They never get to play what they love. It’s not about balance—it’s about being voted out of your own game.
5. “Just play QP” is not an answer.
Competitive is where many of us actually want to learn and grow. Quick Play isn’t the same—it lacks structure, team cohesion, and real stakes.
6. Bans solve problems that don’t exist.
Overwatch already has frequent balance patches. If a hero is overperforming, tune them. Don’t remove them. And don’t let players weaponize the system to grief or spite one-tricks.
✋ Our Pledge:
We will not spend money on Overwatch until forced hero bans are removed.
No battle passes. No bundles. No cosmetics.
We’re not asking for everything. We’re asking for the right to play the heroes we love. That’s what Overwatch was built on—and it’s what’s being taken away.
✅ What We Want:
Remove bans from Competitive
Or move them to a separate queue
Or restrict them to high-tier ranked only
Let us play. Let us express. Let Overwatch feel like Overwatch again.
If you agree, sign and share this petition.
Let Blizzard know: you can’t sell identity and then ban it.
7
Petition Updates
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Petition created on May 31, 2025