Teabagging Not Allowed in Overwatch 2 Calling All Heroes Tournament
There will be no teabagging at the Overwatch 2 Calling All Heroes tournament.
The Calling All Heroes tournament is focused on marginalized genders in the competitive esports community. This event is a safe space for women and non-men who want a chance to compete at a high level without the chance of being discriminated against or harassed at esports events with male players.
This important tournament has created a lot of opportunities for players who would otherwise be overlooked or too scared to compete in the Overwatch League, including Yunhee "Aniyun" Chi. The 18-year-old signed with New York Excelsior earlier this month after competing with an all-female team at last year’s Calling All Heroes tournament.
To continue enforcing this concept of creating a safe space for marginalized genders to compete without harassment, Blizzard has banned teabagging. According to the ruling shared on Discord, teabagging goes against the terms of conduct.
Teabagging is when a player spams the crouch command over and over, usually on top of an eliminated hero’s body. This is basically to insinuate that they are putting their balls in the enemy or teammate’s mouth, a sign of disrespect. Teabagging is essentially a way to taunt players but can be seen as sexual harassment or toxic by some in the gaming community.
But not everyone is on board with Blizzard’s decision to ban teabagging from Calling All Heroes.
On a Reddit thread discussing the leaked ruling, many said that they did not agree with the ruling. Some added that it only made the tournament seem even more like it was for “snowflakes” while others said that it’s just a common taunt people do in gaming and shouldn’t bother anyone.
Others agreed with the removal of teabagging, however, saying that it’s immature and not necessary. They pointed to other tournaments that also removed similar behavior, including VALORANT Game Changers and even the Overwatch League. In the past, even the audience was not allowed to make the “OK” symbol due to its possible connections with racist radical groups at the time. Another gamer also pointed out that even sports don’t allow childish behavior.
“I don’t agree with the rule, but [...] well-organized independent tournaments frequently have rules like this,” said one Overwatch fan.
Another said, “As a guy who's played in a lot of amateur OW leagues, I can tell you the most popular of them include rules like this. You either have hyper-defensive absolutely 0 tolerance toxicity policy or have a Discord server filled with teenagers spamming racial slurs.”
While the teabagging rule may not be the most popular decision Blizzard’s ever made, it’s safe to say that the tournament will most likely get some great viewership with or without it.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!