Sike: Overwatch 2 Requires Your Phone Number Yet Again - Kotaku

If you were blessed that Blizzard mostly scrapped the SMS Protect requirement, a method to curb the instauration of escaped Overwatch 2 accounts from imaginable atrocious actors, I’m atrocious to disappoint you but it’s back. Yes, the steadfast announced successful an updated blog post that SMS Protect has been re-enabled, meaning whether you’ve got a prepaid mobile telephone oregon not, you’ll soon request to link a telephone fig to your Battle.net relationship successful bid to play Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 has been somewhat of a messiness since it came retired connected October 4. Maps were removed. Servers were flooded astatine launch, making the crippled mostly unplayable. A third of the roster was locked and definite heroes, similar Bastion and Mei, were pulled truthful that Blizzard could robust retired issues with their kits.

Overwatch 2 has been going done it, and the SMS Protect fig request was different thorn successful gamers’ sides. Some told Kotaku it felt similar “being punished for being poor” due to the fact that SMS Protect didn’t let for prepaid numbers, efficaciously barring low-income folks from ever playing the free-to-play leader shooter. Following the swift backlash to this arguable requirement, Blizzard reversed the decision, saying that radical with a connected Battle.net relationship “will not person to supply a telephone fig to play” Overwatch 2.

Read More: Overwatch 2's Phone Requirement: ‘It’s Like Being Punished For Being Poor’ [Update: Gone For Most]

Well, Blizzard has changed its caput again. In a blog station updated connected November 17, the steadfast said that SMS Protect for Overwatch 2 is making a comeback.

“Beginning today, we are expanding planetary SMS Protect entree to pre-paid phones,” Blizzard wrote successful the update to the blog post. “We are excited to invited much players to Overwatch 2 portion continuing our committedness to combating disruptive behaviour and protecting the integrity of the subordinate experience. This update whitethorn instrumentality respective hours to rotation retired completely, and we can’t hold to spot you in-game!”

Kotaku reached retired to Blizzard for comment.

While Blizzard said successful its November 17 updated blog station that SMS Protect would marque an quality successful “several hours,” I was conscionable required to adhd a telephone fig to a recently created Battle.net account. So, I conjecture the request has gone unrecorded sooner than the institution anticipated. Great.

At the aforesaid clip Blizzard announced SMS Protect is back, Overwatch 2's caller enforcement shaper Jared Neuss posted a abstracted blog astir updates to the game. This includes tweaking the progression strategy truthful you “feel bully astir the clip you conscionable spent successful the game,” improving queue times truthful they’re “more close successful the UI,” adjusting matchmaking to amended “determine a player’s accomplishment tier and division,” and making equilibrium changes to heroes that are “good for the existent authorities of the game.”

There are besides experiments successful the works to the conflict walk truthful rewards consciousness much rewarding and little grindy, but these updates “may instrumentality much clip to lock-in,” Neuss said.

“A speedy note: Sharing plans earlier they’re finalized is risky,” Neuss wrote successful the blog post. “Development connected a unrecorded crippled similar Overwatch 2 requires changeless juggling of urgent subordinate needs, semipermanent ambitions, and unrecorded issues. It’s easier, and safer, to speech astir the enactment erstwhile it’s astir done and acceptable to deliver. That said, I deliberation sharing our thoughts aboriginal is the close happening to do, truthful we tin make a amended dialog betwixt the improvement squad and the community. Please support your feedback coming: we work it, we’re inspired by it, we usage it successful our improvement plans. Ultimately, we request it to guarantee that we’re gathering a crippled that you privation to support playing for years to come.”

Blizzard, which is notorious for its toxic workplace culture, has announced Overwatch 2's 2nd play volition footwear disconnected connected December 6. This batch of contented volition see a caller map, different conflict pass, and the vessel leader Ramattra, who is unlockable aft you deed level 55 connected the conflict pass. Bummer.