Overwatch 2’s launch on Tuesday had many problems – server errors, connectivity issues, SMS requirements for logging in, and several DDOS attacks. Some players were locked out of their Battle.Net accounts and could not log in for several hours.
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It is expected from big titles like Overwatch to have long queues on launch day. However, Blizzard’s decision to implement SMS requirement to log in made the issue very controversial. The system was first implemented to help with issues of account verification and banning disruptive players.
Overwatch Community Manager Jodie Grace apologized for game’s launch and said:
“First, we want to apologize to our players. We expected the launch of Overwatch 2 to go smoothly. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and we are working hard to resolve the issues you are experiencing.
“On the day of launch, these issues were exacerbated by DDoS attacks—while they did not directly cause any of these issues, they made the environment in which we work on these issues more challenging. We have not suffered any further attacks.”
Blizzard removed SMS Protect until the issues are solved and patched servers to improve stability. Company also touched on Overwatch and Overwatch 2 account merging problems and stated that no items or progress are actually lost and they are still working on the issue.
