Overwatch 2 Launch Plagued by Lengthy Queues, Prepaid Phone Plan Problems
Overwatch 2's free-to-play nature should mean it's accessible to all players with a compatible device. However, a side effect of a new security measure from Blizzard is leaving some users out in the cold.
Over on Twitter, user Jack Saint brought the community's attention to Overwatch 2's SMS Protect policy, which says all players must connect a phone number to their battle.net account to launch Overwatch 2.
blizzard isn't letting people play overwatch 2 if they have... a prepaid phone plan?? pic.twitter.com/NkVOMuFGDJ
Blizzard made this news public last week, but the players only began noticing on a larger scale after the game went live yesterday. According to a news release on Overwatch's official website, the SMS Protect functionality is a solution to combat "both cheating and disruptive behavior" in Overwatch 2. Part of the release says the following:
"Starting October 4, 2022, all players across all platforms, including consoles, are required to have a phone number attached to their battle.net account to launch Overwatch 2. The same phone number cannot be used on multiple accounts at the same time, and players can’t use the same phone number to create multiple accounts. A phone number can only be used once when making a new account, and certain types of numbers, including pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect."
The part that's causing problems is the last sentence, where it says prepaid phone plans are not eligible for SMS Protect. Prepaid phone plans, from companies like Cricket Wireless, require users to pay the bill before receiving service. These plans also rarely require a contract, making them a more attractive option for people who can't afford or don't want to spend as much money on a contract phone
Read more on ign.com
