Report (from the English word "report" — "a message, a notification") is a complaint against a player, submitted through the interface of a game or platform. The verb "to report" has long since become part of everyday gaming speech: "report that guy, he's clearly using cheats", "I got reported for toxicity".
What players get reported for
Complaints are most often filed for a few main reasons:
- Cheating — using third-party software that gives an unfair advantage: seeing opponents through walls, automatic aiming and the like.
- Toxic behavior — insults in voice or text chat, harassment of teammates, provocations.
- Griefing — deliberately throwing the match: intentional deaths, inactivity, helping the opponents.
- Inactivity — a player has left the match or is not playing, leaving the team at a numerical disadvantage.
The reason is chosen from a list at the moment the complaint is submitted. The more precise the category, the easier it is for the system to process the report.
How it works
Usually a report is submitted from the post-match menu or through the player list during the game. The complaint then goes to the moderation system. How that system works depends on the platform: in some places decisions are made by automated algorithms, in others real moderators review the reports, and often a combination of both approaches is used. A single report on its own does not, as a rule, guarantee a punishment: the system looks at the combined data, the player's history and confirmation of the violation.
It is important to understand that a report is not a verdict but a signal for review. That is why it should only be sent when justified. Mass unfounded complaints "out of revenge" go against the rules of games and can harm the sender.
Reports and anti-cheat
A report complements anti-cheat — software protection that looks for cheaters automatically. Anti-cheat catches what can be determined from data, while players notice what can be seen with the naked eye: strange behavior, inhuman reaction, obvious wallhacks. The combined work of human complaints and automation increases the chance of catching a violator.
How to submit a useful report
- choose the exact reason rather than "everything at once";
- if possible, save evidence: a recording or demo of the match, chat screenshots;
- don't argue with the offender in chat — it won't speed up the review, but it may spoil the mood of the whole team;
- don't abuse the feature: a report is for real violations, not for a lost round.
A separate matter is a report in the esports sense at tournaments: there, violations are handled by referees and administrators, and a complaint has to be backed up with match recordings and participants' testimony. But in everyday play, "report" almost always means a complaint made through the built-in system.