Overwatch 2's new phone requirement is locking players out: 'I can't just change my phone plan for one game'
Blizzard's plan to neutralize player toxicity in Overwatch 2 includes the significant step of recording all in-game voice chat(opens in new tab), but a somewhat less drastic change may be what ends up causing the most headaches and controversy.
SMS Protect, as it's called, requires all Overwatch 2 players, on all platforms, to have a phone number attached to their Battle.net account in order to play the game. It's a fairly basic 2FA system, but the idea is that it won't just help players protect their accounts, but also help Blizzard to take more control over who can access Overwatch 2.
«SMS Protect helps verify ownership of your account in the unforeseen event of an account compromise,» Blizzard said(opens in new tab). «Similarly, if a disruptive player has been suspended or banned, SMS Protect makes it more difficult for them to return to the game.»
The problem is that SMS Protect is excluding certain players for reasons unrelated to their in-game behavior. Each Battle.net account requires a separate number, which could exclude households with multiple Overwatch fans and a shared phone line and worse, «certain types of numbers, including pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect.» That potentially locks out a large chunk of people even though they do have a unique phone number, especially younger players who can't, or just don't want to, sign up for a multi-year phone contract. And as a final kick in the head, the requirement holds even if you purchased the original Overwatch for full price.
«I played Overwatch from almost day one and I loved it. It's the entire reason I enjoy competitive games in the first place,» redditor WavePheonix(opens in new tab) wrote. «Now, a few days before launch, I wanted to get
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