Xbox has announced a new strike-based program to reduce cheating on the platform.
in New Xbox Wire Blog Post, Dave McCarthy, CVP of Xbox Player Services, elaborated on the new program. Players found violating Xbox’s Community Standards will be given a warning and will remain on record for 6 months before being removed.
The severity of the offense determines the number of strikes and the length of the penalty, as shown in the diagram below. If a player receives a total of 8 strikes, that player’s account will be suspended from using his Xbox social features such as parties, his chat and his online multiplayer for one year. However, the single-player experience will not be affected and suspended players will not be stripped of purchased content.
As part of our effort to provide transparency and educate players on what behavior is considered inappropriate, Microsoft will show players their execution history. This will allow you to see the number of suspensions issued, completed and expired, as well as the number of strikes you are currently receiving.
“We are constantly improving our safety measures and introducing more systems and tools to help players interact with each other in a respectful way, because we want everyone to be free from harassment and bullying and You deserve a place where you can feel comfortable being yourself online,” McCarthy explained.
Xbox’s new forced strike system is Microsoft’s latest attempt to curb cheating on the platform. The company’s previous efforts include a safety feature released last month that allows players to clip audio and easily report inappropriate voice chats.
All Xbox players start with a clean slate, no strikes. However, any previously issued enforcement or suspension will not be excused.
Taylor is a reporter for IGN. You can follow her on her Twitter @TayNixster.
