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Overwatch 2 launched on 4 October with high expectations from fans and investors alike. But even developer Blizzard Entertainment acknowledged in a blog post that the sequel to the breakthrough hit of 2016 has had a rough launch.
Three major issues have troubled the launch of Overwatch 2 at a technical level: a new security feature called SMS Protect, unstable servers, and two major Directed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Each of these issues and additional bugs have caused many players to not play the game at all.
SMS Protect was a security feature included in Blizzard’s anti-toxicity initiative: Defense Matrix. The feature initially required Overwatch 2 players to link their account to a mobile number. But no cell phone number would do it. Prepaid cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) plans were blocked in an effort to prevent disruptive players from having a cheap way to get around their ban.
However, this meant that fans who did not subscribe to a phone plan would not be able to access the game. This upset fans of the original title who were affected by SMS Protect as Blizzard also cut off access to the original Overwatch prior to the sequel’s launch.
If players can create an account, they will also experience long queues with inconsistent queue numbers. There are also frequent reports of players disconnecting mid-match due to server instability. These issues make it difficult to experience the game as intended.
This got even more complicated when the game was hit by two back-to-back DDoS attacks hours after the launch of Overwatch 2.
Blizzard’s developers are clearly working to fix these issues. For example, the SMS Protect requirement has been removed for existing Overwatch accounts linked to a Battle.net account. This applies to all accounts created before June 9, 2021. However, new accounts still need to be linked to a contract phone number.
Of Activision Blizzard’s Merger With Microsoft looming in the background, Blizzard’s handling of Overwatch 2 could have long-term ramifications for the franchise and the Overwatch League. Blizzard is counting on this relaunch to bring in new fans. But these technical issues may have disabled otherwise interested players. While it’s not unheard of for a game to return and become successful after a rocky launch, Overwatch 2 only gets one chance to make a first impression on potential players.
While Activision Blizzard’s stock price has remained relatively stable during launch, fan confidence will remain shaken until the game is in better shape and their other concerns are address.
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