Overwatch 2 has a rocky launch amid technical issues

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Overwatch 2 launched on October 4 with high expectations from fans and investors. However, even developer Blizzard Entertainment acknowledged in a blog post that the sequel to the 2016 hit had a rocky launch.

Three main issues disrupted the launch of Overwatch 2 technically: a new security feature called SMS Protect, unstable servers, and two major distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Each of these additional issues and bugs have prevented many players from playing the game.

SMS Protect was a security feature included in Blizzard's anti-toxicity initiative: Defense Matrix. The feature initially required Overwatch 2 players to connect their account to a mobile number. But not just any cell phone number will do. Prepaid cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) plans have been blocked to prevent disruptive players from having a cheap way around their bans.

However, this prevented fans who were not using a contract phone plan from accessing the game. This upset fans of the original title who were affected by SMS Protect as Blizzard had also shut down access to the game. 'Original Overwatch before the sequel launched.

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While players can create an account, they also experience long queues with inconsistent queue numbers. Players also frequently reported being disconnected mid-match due to server instability. These issues make it difficult to experience the game as intended.

Things were further complicated when the game was hit by two consecutive DDoS attacks hours after Overwatch 2 launched.

Blizzard developers are clearly working to fix these issues. For example, the SMS Protect requirement has been dropped for existing Overwatch accounts that are linked to a Battle.net account. This applies to all accounts created before June 9, 2021. However, new accounts will still need to be linked to a contract phone number.

With Activision Blizzard's merger with Microsoft looming, Blizzard's handling of Overwatch 2 could have long-term implications for the franchise and the Overwatch League. Blizzard is banking on this relaunch to attract new fans. But these technical issues may have discouraged otherwise interested players. While it's not uncommon for a game to bounce back and succeed after a rocky launch, Overwatch 2 only gets one chance to make a first impression on potential players.

Although Activision Blizzard's stock price remained relatively stable at launch, fan confidence will remain shaken until the game is in a better state and their other concerns are addressed.

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