Overwatch 2 players have been left confused after discovering that using swear words while playing the game can potentially get their accounts suspended, as Blizzard customer service reiterates that "profanity has never been allowed in our games."

This was first flagged after a number of Twitter users took to the social media site to ask why their accounts had been suspended, to which they were told that "inappropriate language" and profanity, if reported, is grounds for suspension. 

Responding to one player who asked why "my account keeps getting punished," customer support explains: "This would be for profanity.  Specifically liberal use of F-bombs in chat. Profanity isn't allowed in our games. Not explicitly, not abbreviated, not masked or misspelled." In a separate interaction, it's stated that "F-bombs in any form are not acceptable."

Needless to say, this has raised questions amongst the Overwatch community. The shooter itself offers a profanity filter for its chat, which users can utilize if they don't want to see bad language, and some have pointed out that its existence essentially "gives off the impression that profanity is permitted." However, responding to questions about the filter, community support says: "No, the filter is for those who wish to use it, but profanity has never been allowed in our games. If reported, absolutely actionable."

Throughout the interactions, Blizzard customer support points to the company's in-game code of conduct, which states that "you may not use language that could be offensive or vulgar to others," and that like discriminatory language and hate speech, "obscene or disruptive language" is also considered inappropriate. "Violating any of these expectations will result in account restrictions. More serious and repeated violations will result in greater restrictions," it adds.

Of course, it's obvious to see why someone would be suspended if this language is directed towards any other players – the confusing part is that, based on customer support's phrasing here, it seems that all profanity is forbidden, regardless of the context. Without the exact details of the phrases that have gotten players suspended recently, it's hard to tell just how strict these rules are in reality, but just be aware that you may face consequences if you use swear words in the game's chat.

For more first-person shooter action, be sure to check out our list of the top 25 best FPS games you can play now.

In a move that's sure to be familiar to all you Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans, Bandai Namco is telling Elden Ring fans to "treat" themselves to 18 inches of Messmer the Impaler by picking up the Shadow of the Erdtree Collector's Edition. Quiet in the back, now.

To explain this filth a little bit, Elden Ring DLC developer FromSoftwhere showcased the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion earlier this year, going on to showcase the Collector's Edition afterward. So far, so marketing. As is standard, though, the bundle includes a character statue. In this case, that's Messmer the Impaler. Who has a statue that's 18 inches tall. That's it. 

We've still got a while to go to Shadow of the Erdtree, so Bandai Namco is likely tweeting the odd promotion to boost sales. What's caught fans off guard this time, though, is the wording. 

The tweet reads, "Treat yourself to 18 inches of Messmer the Impaler and more with the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Collector's Edition."

I'd usually share a selection of replies, but frankly many of them are not safe for work – not safe for life, even. Imagine a slew of people gasping and others coming to terms with what's on offer quicker than most, and you're there.

If this all sounds familiar, then you'll likely have been unlucky enough to be near social media around the marketing cycles of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The former set everyone's favorite new marketing ploy in motion by telling fans to, yes, treat themselves to 19 inches of Venom. It's hard to say if Square Enix wanted in on that, but they didn't get a choice with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as everyone had the same reaction to learning the RPG's collector's edition had a 19-inch Sephiroth statue. 

Elden Ring's DLC can only be reached from a very specific late-game location – 13 years later, is this signature FromSoftware access method still practical?

If you're looking to get beta access to Hades 2, developer Supergiant Games has just opened sign-ups for the game's technical test.

"We're conducting the Hades II Technical Test prior to our Early Access launch to help us find and solve any technical issues we might have missed thus far, to ensure anyone who tries Hades II in Early Access can have a smooth play experience from the start," the devs explain in a Steam blog. "The Technical Test contains much less content than what's in store for the Early Access launch, and may be available only to a relatively small subset of players who express interest in participating."

If you want to sign up, you can head to the game's Steam page and hit the 'request access' button. You'll get an email with further details if you're selected. The devs say the test will "begin shortly," and estimate that it'll be "longer than a week, shorter than a month," with waves of invites going out for the test's duration. Save data will not transfer to Early Access.

"The Technical Test contains the first major area of the game, and other early-game characters, systems, and content," the devs say. "(If you played the original game, imagine a version where you couldn't get past Tartarus even if you vanquished its guardian.) If you end up clearing the first major area a number of times, the game will gently suggest that you discontinue play, as Early Access shouldn't be far behind!"

Director Greg Kasavin previously teased that Hades 2 would likely hit Early Access on PC between April and June 2024, and it looks like the game's right on schedule. The original Hades certainly benefited from its stay in Early Access, so here's hoping the sequel can measure up to the first game's success.

You can play Hades 2 without touching the roguelike's legendary predecessor: "It's important to us that it's a standalone thing."