Overwatch actor Jonny Cruz schooled some players on how to stop toxicity in the game with some strong advice for ranked competitors.
Cruz is well-known for providing the iconic voice of Lucio, but he’s also a popular Twitch streamer. Frequently, the actor finds himself grinding ranked and has even competed against some Top 500 talent in the past.
During a recent broadcast, the actor broke down what players should do to avoid toxic teammates and how anyone annoyed with how their team is performing could make their experience better.
Needless to say, in a game where teamwork is paramount, Cruz’s advice could be extremely beneficial to a lot of players.
Lucio’s voice actor gives tips for Overwatch ranked
It may sound like a bit of a tired cliche at this point, but one of Cruz’s biggest tips is to simply not say anything at all if you don’t have anything nice to say.
“It’s not helpful to the team. It’s not information. Don’t say it,” he explained, stressing that callouts are useful, but anything negative is just unneeded.
“If you need someone to do something for you and you’re a healer, just say, ‘hey I’m coming to you. Where you at? I need some heals back here.’ It is absolutely clear, effective communication,” he added.
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Cruz’s point definitely makes a lot of sense when you think about how much of a team game Overwatch is and how cooperation with teammates is the difference between winning and losing.
By contrast, he also recommends taking conversations offline and talking to someone demanding you switch or play differently in a better environment.
According to the actor, he believes he has a good relationship with his friends, family, and work because he approaches things non-violently.
“Overwatch is a highly-communicative game. And if you’re not communicating and you’re sitting getting angry at what’s happening, it’s no one else’s fault but yours,” he concluded. “If someone’s in-game and they’re being toxic to you, and you meet it with violence or ego, you’re going to get that back.”
Next time you play ranked and things aren’t going your way, think back to Lucio’s voice actor and try to see if his tips can help defuse a toxic situation.