In a bid to smooth over its tumultuous launch, Overwatch 2 is amending its requirements that players must use their phone numbers in order to access the game, but even this latest update still has its issues that Blizzard has yet to address. Among several emerging controversies and bugs surrounding Overwatch 2 from an insufficient Battle Pass to locked playable characters, one of these contentions was the requirement of players to input their phone number as part of Overwatch 2's attempt to safeguard against disruptive behavior and cheating. This, however, began to cause altogether new issues on its own.
Though some players had no problems when entering their phone numbers and accessing the game, other players were unable to overcome this barrier to entry as either they were rejected due to the kind of phone they used or if they didn't have a phone of their own. Predominantly affecting players unable to afford higher-end phone contracts or younger players unable to buy a phone for themselves, many have expressed frustration and distress at the policy, arguing that the decision feels discriminatory against these players. Even after Blizzard updated its policy to utilize Battle.net as damage control, this still remains problematic.
Explaining Overwatch 2's Phone Requirement
Though it might seem unusual to ask for a phone number to play an online game, Overwatch 2 is relying on something called SMS Protect, a system designed to verify legitimate phone numbers and exclude instances of fraud or scams. Adding this to Overwatch 2, as the developer explains, is meant to combat disruptive behavior and likely will provide the tools Blizzard needs to tackle cheating or take action against users breaking its rules. However, not all phone plans or contracts operate within SMS Protect, meaning that these numbers will be no good to Overwatch 2 players.
The result though is that while a good number of users have been able to successfully access Overwatch 2, a majority of players who have prepaid phone plans can't play. As prepaid phone plans are typically used as a cheaper alternative to current phone contracts, the players who have been most affected by this policy are those from lower-income backgrounds. Social media is already full of users expressing their disappointment at being unable to play this long-awaited game and feeling they were too poor for Blizzard's game.
An additional complication to this is that younger players, specifically those who either cannot afford or are not permitted to own a phone, are unable to likewise access Overwatch 2. The only workaround available to kids who want to play Overwatch 2 would be to rely on an adult's help, whether it's a parent, guardian, or older sibling. However, not only would this slap in the face of Overwatch 2's efforts to discourage multiple accounts circumventing this very issue, but if the adults themselves are also players, then their phones will likely already be in use for their personal accounts.
Breaking Down Blizzard's Phone Update
In response to the public backlash from players, Blizzard announced changes to its Overwatch 2 phone requirement policy to allow previous users with Battle.net accounts to access the game without a phone number. While this has helped to make Overwatch 2 accessible to existing Overwatch players, Blizzard did stress that this would only apply to current or older users and that new users would need to meet these requirements. While this indicates an effort on Blizzard's part to meet players halfway, the update still fails to address the problematic core of the issue.
Players who did not previously have a Battle.net account, likely those new to Overwatch after the game transitioned to this cross-platform service, will still require a phone number to access the game or create a new Battle.net account. This means that people who want to play the game but are unable to because of their phone plan or inability to afford one are still stuck. The earlier sentiment still prevails then: Blizzard has made them feel too poor to play. While fans can appreciate Blizzard's efforts to protect its game and players from cheating, the community is left asking if this is worth the cost of other people's dignity.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.