Update: Since the publication of this article, Blizzard Support has confirmed they will be removing the phone number requirements for a “majority” of existing Overwatch players who have a Battle.net account. This change will go live on October 7, 2022.
Original Story: Overwatch 2 requires new players to register a cell phone number to activate SMS Protection, but some players have been getting error messages when trying to register a prepaid phone. Is there a fix for these issues or are these players going to be excluded from playing Blizzard Entertainment’s new hero shooter?
What causes Overwatch 2 SMS Protection activation errors?
As part of the Overwatch 2 Defense Matrix initiative, all new players must attach an “eligible” cell phone number to their Battle.net account. Blizzard states that “certain types of phone numbers, including pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect.” Networks that do not seem to be working and are producing an error with Overwatch 2 SMS Protection seem to be confined to the United States and include Cricket Wireless and Trac-Fone. However, others like Verizon, MetroPCS, and Mint Mobile seem to be working well.
For those without a Battle.net account, there are no fixes for the issue. Blizzard Support’s response has been mixed, although a Reddit user claims they told some to “tell their carrier to change the way they handle phone numbers or buy a new phone.”
The errors are just some of many players have experienced during the game’s rocky launch. Other issues include account merge not working and the Watchpoint Pack skins not showing. As soon as we hear more, we’ll update this guide.
