Blizzard apologizes for Overwatch 2 launch issues, amends botched SMS Protect

gamedeveloper.com:

Blizzard has issued an apology to players after Overwatch 2 failed to hit the ground running.

The free-to-play team shooter debuted earlier this week, but was targeted with a distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attack within hours of launch, causing notable connection issues and preventing some players from accessing the title.

Another feature designed to protect players has also caused issues, with many on social media platforms pointing out that SMS Protect – which initially required all players across all platforms to attach a phone number to their battle.net account to launch Overwatch 2 – was actually preventing those with pre-paid phones from accessing the live service title.

In response to the issue of SMS Protect, Blizzard says it has tweaked the system to remove phone number requirements for a majority of existing Overwatch players in a bid to give its core community a free pass.

"Any Overwatch player with a connected Battle.net account, which includes all players who have played since June 9, 2021, will not have to provide a phone number to play. We are working to make this change and expect it to go live on Friday, October 7. We will update players once it is in effect," said the studio in a forum post.

"We remain committed to combating disruptive behavior in Overwatch 2 — accounts that were not connected to Battle.net as well as new accounts will still have to meet SMS Protect requirements, which helps to ensure we’re protecting our community against cheating. If a player is caught engaging in disruptive behavior, their account may be banned whether they have a new account or not."

There have been other issues too, such as problems with Account Merge that's currently preventing players from pulling over their