OVERWATCH 2 has had a troubled launch as developer Blizzard decides to roll back the requirement to enter your phone number before playing.
Players are struggling to enter a match following several cyber attacks, which have seen queues reach over 50k players.
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Many have even complained that once in the game skins from the original game have not carried over, and some are having trouble entering the in-game shop.
However, it was a purposeful decision by the developers, which appears to be the most controversial.
Blizzard announced that players would have to enter a verified phone number in order to play its latest arena shooter.
This turned many away from the game who worry about their privacy, and companies collecting their data.
Others reported being unable to play the game due to having a prepaid phone over a contract.
One player said: “Blizzard is the first company to make me feel too poor to play a game.”
The company has now reversed the decision for some players, following the backlash from its users.
However, only those players who are coming from the original game are exempt from entering their phone number.
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Players who are starting their Overwatch journey with the sequel are still required to enter a phone number attached to a contract in order to play.
Now that Overwatch 2 has officially launched, Blizzard has also shut down the servers for the original game.
This means that new players are unable to make an account on the first Overwatch where a phone number was not required.
Free-to-play games such as Overwatch 2 often offer people a chance to play one of the latest games even if they are on a budget.
This decision to require a phone number for two factor authentication, means that only those who can afford a contract, and of course a phone, will be able to play.
Aside from the monetary issues, players are still concerned about handing out their personal data to companies.
Tech and gaming companies are often the targets for hackers, where players’ personal information can be stolen.
This decision has made a dent in Blizzard’s reputation, and the reversal of the decision for older players, while welcome, is not enough for most people.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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