Overwatch 2 brought the next iteration of the game to fans with a host of updates including cross-platform play across all consoles, new characters, and new ways to earn cosmetic upgrades. The new version was not without hiccups, however, and many bugs crept up quickly as players got their hands on the game.
Many minor bugs were quickly hotfixed out of the game, but game-breaking glitches soured the experience for a host of players. Experienced fans and new players alike ran afoul of some major Overwatch 2 bugs, not all of which have been corrected even a full month after launch.
Overwatch 2 Server Crashes and PC Reboots
Unexpected server errors often plague multiplayer game launches, and stress testing rarely replicates the strain of a live environment. When the sequel to Overwatch went live, it delivered a host of server problems. Live Overwatch 2 server crashes caused players to disconnect or find themselves in seemingly endless queues as matches failed to launch properly. Hotfixes and updates reduced much of the strain, but this issue persists at times.
One massive bug took this a bit further. Players who didn’t have the latest drivers or had hardware conflicts within their PC systems experienced random reboots of their entire computer system when playing Overwatch 2. Blizzard offered to diagnose these issues for players willing to upload a Direct X diagnostic file, and many conflicts have since been resolved.
Failure to Merge Battle.net Accounts
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One of the biggest promises made by developers in the run-up to Overwatch 2 was that players would keep all unlocked heroes, skins, cosmetics, and similar upgrades earned in the first game. This put a large strain on the game’s creators to ensure each and every item transferred properly between accounts.
Unfortunately, the strain on the merger system left many console players without access to these unlockables. Queue lengths for Overwatch 2 merge requests still vary between 900 and 90,000 without rhyme or reason, but Battle.net feels confident no players will lose progression. It may simply take time to sort out the remaining accounts.
Locked Classic Overwatch Heroes
Players may find themselves locked out of playable characters for reasons other than account merge, however. This big bug prevents even older characters from making the lineup. Those just starting the game may find themselves unable to access original Overwatch heroes, including Bastion, Genji, Mei, and Symmetra.
New players to the game have to complete challenges to unlock these characters, while older players should get them as part of the merge. Those who have earned but not unlocked them should try rebooting, attempting to merge again, and relaunching the game. Failing that, a support ticket may be in order.
Overwatch 2 Spends Credits for Players
Players merging their accounts got to keep previously earned coins in legacy form, allowing them to unlock additional skins from Overwatch from the outset. Unfortunately, a bug in Overwatch 2 chat led to players who were typing messages accidentally purchasing skins through a combination of spacebar and mouse placement.
Players can quickly, accidentally, and completely unintentionally purchase skins while trying to communicate with friends before a match. Blizzard noted that it does not offer refunds for purchases of this nature. Console players using controllers are likely unaffected by this bug.
Never-ending Overwatch 2 Matches
Account bugs are often huge, but those that prevent games from completing are just as annoying. Some players found themselves stuck in Overwatch 2 spawn rooms, unable to leave the room while the Overtime timer failed to complete. A built-in clock prevents matches from lasting more than two hours before the game forces a timeout.
Players stuck in never-ending matches have only two choices. They can wait out the hour before the match gets canceled or risk the Overwatch leaver penalty by quitting. Blizzard notes they have tackled the problem on the server side, and it should no longer appear in regular matches.
Stuck in Competitive Bronze 5
The new ranked competitive system in Overwatch 2 does away with SR calculations and promotes players across ranks based on a record of seven wins or 20 losses. Players beginning matches with their friends at the start of the season could often find themselves stuck in Overwatch 2’s Bronze 5, the lowest tier, without advancing alongside others with the exact same win-loss record. This was another server-side bug that made it to the live launch.
Blizzard has since patched the ranking system, helping ensure players receive appropriate promotions between levels. Players affected by the bug should find themselves in the appropriate tier in short order.
Overloaded Torbjörn and Barrage Bastion
Balance is critical for games that offer competitive play and e-sports support. Blizzard has always taken an ever-evolving approach to balance, adjusting characters as needed between competitive seasons with occasional hotfixes for bugs and exploits. An example of this was how Torbjörn and Bastion were removed from play early on due to bugs with their abilities.
This temporary removal left fans without the ability to rank up competitively using two of the game’s most popular DPS characters. Fixes that prevented multiple activations of their abilities toned down these two characters and saw them return to competitive play.
Unbeatable Sombra and Escapable Mei
Two other DPS characters have since displayed game-changing, if not game-ending, bugs. Players discovered that the hacker Sombra can teleport inside the payload. This makes her invulnerable while still being able to attack players and launch her ultimate. Overwatch hero Mei is on hiatus from competitive play until November 15th, as a bug with her ice wall causes glitches with terrain and affects player movement in unintended ways.
It’s not just a balance issue when a character becomes invulnerable or gains an unintended advantage that can make or break games. These bugs may seem inconsequential when compared to lost progress, rebooting PCs, or server crashes, but they make a big difference to players seeking a fair match on their way to higher competitive ranks.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.