If you’ve hopped into Overwatch 2 over the last few days, you may have noticed long queuing times and plenty of congestion. It appears the game is having widespread issues, with servers going down at several points over the last few days, as a result of increased demand, and multiple distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
According to Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, Overwatch 2 has suffered a number of targeted and deliberate hits as the new game launches, with the development team working hard to maintain server connections.
‘Teams are working hard on server issues with Overwatch 2,’ Ybarra said on Twitter. ‘We are humbled by the excitement of players and will continue to focus on issues and get players into the fun! Thanks for your patience.’
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Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2 game director backed these claims, explaining that the development team is working ‘through the night‘ to combat DDoS attacks, as well as server and stability issues. Service has reportedly been on-and-off throughout the last few days, with connection issues being managed on an as-needed basis.
Players are being encouraged to exercise patience as teething issues are worked through and resolved, with a fix likely in sight over the coming week. If you’ve yet to dive in, it’s best to hold off and keep an eye on server stability fixes as they progress.
Beyond major server and connection issues, players are also discovering a range of other issues when logging into Overwatch 2 – particularly for those on pre-paid and VOIP mobile phone plans in regions including the United States. It appears that the new SMS Protect system designed to secure accounts and keep players protected is actually locking out some legitimate users, with those on Cricket Wireless, Mint Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Tello, Republic Wireless, and Straight Talk being unable to play the game.
‘I’ve been playing with friends and family for years, now I can’t play with any of them because of my phone plan,’ said one user on Reddit. ‘I’m really upset and oddly ashamed for not meeting this “standard”. Never thought I would be disqualified from playing overwatch based on my ability afford a phone contract, but here we are… Blizzard is the first company to make me feel too poor to play a game.’
Blizzard is reportedly offering refunds for players who purchased starter packs and are unable to receive SMS messages, but SMS Protect appears to be a permanent fixture in the game. It’s unknown if a workaround will become available for impacted players.
As the Blizzard team continues to work on the game’s mounting issues, expect Overwatch 2 to grow in size, stability, and popularity.
