Blizzard is removing the phone number requirement for most current players to play Overwatch 2 (Opens in a new window) in response to complaints.
The developer made the announcement as many Overwatch players with prepaid cell phone numbers discovered they were unable to access the recently released game. The cause? With Overwatch 2, Blizzard has implemented a stringent anti-cheat system that centers on the use of phone numbers to take action against violators.
The creator is now working swiftly to lift the limitation. Blizzard wrote (Opens in a new window) : Any Overwatch player with a connected Battle.net account, which includes all players who have played since June 9, 2021, would not be required to submit a phone number to play, the company said in a forum post on Wednesday.”
This update is being made, and we anticipate implementing it on October 7th. Once it is in effect, we will notify gamers, Blizzard added.
The company’s phone number requirement is related to a mechanism called SMS Protect (Opens in a new window) that is used to confirm the legitimacy of an Overwatch 2 account. The same system has the power to ban disruptive or dishonest players and prevent them from opening new accounts with the same mobile number.
The issue is that, particularly with prepaid phone plans, cell phone numbers can frequently be recycled and used again for new users. A phone number can only be used once when creating a new account, and certain types of lines, like pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect. Blizzard first announced SMS Protect for Overwatch 2 back on September 27th in an blog post (Opens in a new window) .
Tweet (Opens in a new window) However, it appears that Blizzard miscalculated the number of players who use prepaid phone contracts, which are frequently less expensive. Many users have expressed their displeasure with the restriction in Reddit threads, with one going so far as to say, “I feel ashamed of having a prepaid phone.”
Many current players of the game should be able to enter Overwatch 2 thanks to the modification that removed the phone number restriction. Blizzard pointed out that new accounts and accounts that were not linked to Battle.net would still need to adhere to the SMS Protect rules.
The business added: Whether a gamer has a new account or not, their account may be banned if they are found to be acting disruptively.
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” alt=” “Blizzard has also expressed regret about Overwatch 2’s difficult launch. On Tuesday, the game was made available, but suffered (Opens in a new window) experienced two DDoS attacks that rendered the multiplayer shooter inaccessible to many players. Additionally, Overwatch 2 has experienced lengthy login lines and server outages.
We anticipated Overwatch 2’s release to go without a hitch. The corporation stated, “We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we are working hard to address the challenges you are encountering.
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