Psyonix is taking new steps to combat bad behavior in Rocket League with a "Chat Bans" system that will be added as part of the upcoming Tournaments Update. The studio said the system is "the new first step in addressing abusive language and toxic behavior in game."
Chat bans will be handed out for the same behavior that currently leads to game bans, but as the name suggests will simply remove the ability of players to chat while they're in the game. When a player is reported for abusive chat—"racial, gender and homophobic slurs, as well as some more general inappropriate language"—the system will scan the match's entire chat log. If the player in question was found to be abusive, a Chat Ban ranging anywhere from 24 hours to a month will be imposed.
Players hit with chat bans will be given in-game notifications of their duration and also what exactly triggered the ban, so "you'll know what kind of language to avoid in the future." Players who file reports will also be notified if action was taken as a result, although specifics about the offending player will not be revealed.
The bans won't completely silence players who receive them. Quick Chat will continue to work but only once every five seconds, and chat in Private Matches and Party Chat in Online Matches will work as normal. If the bad behavior persists after a month-long chat ban, then the full-on game bans will be brought into play.
The Rocket League Tournaments Update will also feature in-game connection quality indicators, new ways to organize your inventory, new music and the new Triumph Crate, and of course tournaments, which you can read about at rocketleague.com. It's set to go live on April 3.
