Blizzard Axes Controversial Overwatch 2 Cellphone Quantity Requirement

Overwatch 2 will now not require present Overwatch gamers to cough up a telephone quantity, as Blizzard rolls again the controversial anti-cheat system. TechRadar studies: All Overwatch 2 gamers had been initially required to hyperlink an energetic telephone quantity to their Battle.web account to play the hero shooter. Blizzard hoped the SMS Defend authentication system would assist customers confirm their accounts, and forestall disruptive and abusive gamers from returning to the sport after being banned. […] Overwatch’s telephone quantity authentication system has confirmed controversial among the many sport’s group. A number of kinds of telephone numbers, together with these linked to pre-paid SIM playing cards and VOIP telephones, cannot be used for authentication, locking many would-be gamers out of the sequel. Even those that’d bought the unique Overwatch — which was changed by the free-to-play sequel and is now not accessible — initially discovered themselves unable to play Overwatch 2 in the event that they did not have a telephone variety of the suitable sort. Equally, many who’d purchased the sport’s Watchpoint Pack forward of its launch discovered they could not entry the sport to benefit from the $39.99 starter bundle.

“We’ve got made the choice to take away telephone quantity necessities for a majority of present Overwatch gamers,” Blizzard mentioned in a discussion board put up asserting the top of the system. “Any Overwatch participant with a linked Battle.web account, which incorporates all gamers who’ve performed since June 9, 2021, is not going to have to offer a telephone quantity to play. We’re working to make this modification and count on it to go stay on Friday, October 7.” However the coverage change will not profit everybody. Blizzard says: “Accounts that weren’t linked to Battle.web, in addition to new accounts, will nonetheless have to satisfy SMS Defend necessities.”