World’s top Overwatch pro permanently banned with no explanation from devs

One of the world’s top Overwatch pros, Proper, has been hit with a mysterious permanent ban with no explanations from the devs. 

Generally, bans handed out by Blizzard in Overwatch 2 are justifiable, with the devs ramping up measures to curb toxicity among players. However, efforts to combat this pesky side of the playerbase are not always pitch-perfect. 

It seems in recent weeks the system may be slipping up, with a viral case of a player getting their account suspended for some mild-mannered banter. 

And now it seems one of the best in the pro-Overwatch scene was hit with a mysterious permanent ban, with no real explanation as to why from the devs.

Dong-Hyun “Proper” Kim is one of the greatest Overwatch players to ever do it, an OWL MVP, Rookie of the Year, Role Star and Grand Finals appearance all under his belt, all gained in his debut year to boot.

However, the DPS player was hit with a sudden permanent ban on February 1. He tweeted out the message he received from Blizzard, saying, “I got ban… I want just play game…”

As for why he got banned, the message Proper received was an automated message players receive if their account got suspended. The reasoning they gave was his behavior was a breach of Overwatch’s in-game code of conduct. 

That could mean a number of things, from toxicity, hacking, griefing, or even ban evasions. It’s unsure which Proper was banned for. Of course, there’s always a chance he was wrongfully mass-reported by other players online.

In the ban message he shared, it was stated his account ban will not be overturned by Blizzard support, and any in-game purchases he has made will not be refunded. 

This is particularly troubling for the former OWL MVP as the Overwatch Championship Series is soon starting its open qualifiers, and a player with an account suspension cannot compete. 

It’s unknown if Blizzard will overturn their decision before the OWCS Asia open qualifiers kick off.