Harassment is unfortunately all too common in the online gaming space, but Microsoft has introduced a new “Enforcement Strike System” on Xbox today to combat player toxicity.

This new strike system, which Dave McCarthy, vice president of player services, detailed in a new Xbox Wire post, is meant to give players a clearer picture of what violations are being enforced by Xbox and give more severe punishments for the worst actions. “The strike system is designed to further empower players to engage positively and appropriately on Xbox and with the community,” McCarthy explains.

After a report against a player is reviewed by the Xbox Safety Team, that team can assign a number of strikes to the account accused of a violation. Things like using profanity or cheating add one strike, while something like hate speech warrants three strikes. While users can appeal strikes and get them removed, those that stick come with suspension-related punishments that will block those Xbox features like messaging and joining party chats. The graphic below details what you need to know about the system.

Xbox

Getting one or two strikes will suspend your account for just one day, but things get worse the more strikes an account gets. If some account manages to get eight strikes, they will be banned from all online activity for over a year, and all strikes will stay on the player’s record for at least six months. 

All accounts start with zero strikes beginning today, so make sure you watch your online behavior on Xbox going forward. You are able to see any active enforcements on your Xbox account on the Xbox Support website.

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