Blizzard’s hero shooter with classes, Overwatch 2, has arrived. The game has a new battle pass system that takes one tank out of the player-versus-player rotation. Although new story missions are planned for the game, they won’t be added until early next year at the earliest.
When Overwatch 2 was first introduced at BlizzCon 2019, it marked a significant departure from previous entries in the franchise. New heroes, maps, and significant balance patches are added and implemented seasonally in the sequel, which is fully committed to a live-service, free-to-play model. Blizzard is making an effort to deliver on the promise of Overwatch with this design.
Overwatch 2: The Best Way To Enable SMS Verification
Blizzard has reversed its position that required a phone number verification for all accounts before the game could be played. Prepaid and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) numbers were initially listed by Blizzard as being ineligible for use with SMS Protect. Although the decision was made to prevent cheating and other forms of disruption, it has been criticized for being ineffective because it does not take into account new or current players. In the United States, 38% of persons aged 18-29 have a prepaid plan, according to YouGov.
A community manager for Overwatch 2 wrote a blog post with a status update the day after the game’s release, saying, “We’ve decided to do away with the need for a phone number for the vast majority of current Overwatch players. It is no longer necessary to enter a phone number to play Overwatch if you have a connected Battle.net account, which is every player who has played since June 9, 2021.”
New gamers and existing players who haven’t already linked their Overwatch account to a Blizzard account will still be required to enter a phone number. According to the blog article, these safeguards serve to prevent cheating inside the group.
After inputting your phone number in the Account Details > Phone Number section of your Battle.net profile, you’ll be able to activate the SMS Protect feature. Once you press the Next button, you’ll be sent a verification code through text message. If you enter the code, your account will be checked for accuracy. Read the next paragraph to know Overwatch 2 Brings SMS protect to prepaid phone plans.
Overwatch 2 Brings SMS Protect To Prepaid Phone Plans
Source: ESPORTSGG
Blizzard has modified its SMS Protect service to accommodate prepaid phone numbers, as reported in a blog post. A month and a half have passed since the initial introduction of the SMS Protect service, and this revision clears up some of the uncertainty around the rollout. If you want to play Overwatch for the first time but don’t have a Battle.net account, you’ll need a phone number, but you may use a prepaid one today.
Since its October 4 release, Overwatch 2 has been something of a mess. A lot of the maps were taken away. At its release, the game’s servers were overwhelmed, rendering them largely unusable. Blizzard had to lock a third of the roster and remove heroes like Bastion and Mei to fix their kits.
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In addition to the various issues that players have had with Overwatch 2, the need to provide an SMS Protect number has been a major source of frustration. Some players complained to Kotaku that they were “punished for being poor” since they couldn’t play the free-to-play hero shooter game because SMS Protect didn’t support prepaid lines. Blizzard quickly altered their stance, announcing that anyone with a linked Battle.net account “would not have to supply a phone number to play” Overwatch 2 after receiving a flood of criticism for the policy. The emergence of new competitors meant that this continued to be the case. Here we are, finally, with the announcement we’ve been promising.
Blizzard announced in a blog post update, “Starting today, we are expanding global SMS Protect access to prepaid phones.” We look forward to additional players joining Overwatch 2 and will maintain our dedication to preventing abusive conduct and safeguarding the quality of the game for everyone. We apologize for any delay this update may cause and hope to see you all in-game soon!
Overwatch 2’s new executive producer, Jared Neuss, issued a blog outlining upcoming changes at the same time Blizzard announced the return of SMS Protect. Tweaks to the matchmaking system to “better determine a player’s skill tier and division” and hero balance changes that are “appropriate for the current state of the game” are discussed, as are improvements to the progression system so that you “feel good about the time you just spent in the game.”
Neuss also mentioned that the combat pass is undergoing some testing to make the rewards feel more worthwhile and less gritty.
In his blog post, Neuss warned, “A short note: Sharing plans before they are finalized is hazardous.” Overwatch 2’s development is a perpetual balancing act between short-term priorities, long-term goals, and current difficulties affecting players. Discussion of the project is simpler and less risky when it is close to completion and delivery. That being said, I believe it is prudent to communicate our ideas early so as to foster a more fruitful conversation between the development team and the community. Keep the suggestions coming; we take them seriously and include them in our development strategies. Last but not least, we require it to guarantee that we’re making a game that you’ll enjoy playing for a long time.
Blizzard, a company infamous for its hostile work environment, has announced that the second season of Overwatch 2 will begin on December 6. Among the new features in this update is the addition of the tank hero Ramattra, who can be accessed at Battle Pass Level 55, as well as a new terrain. Bummer.
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