Blizzard Apologizes and Fixes Overwatch 2; Players Point Out Other Problems

The debut of the second Overwatch did not go smoothly - and not just because of hackers who effectively spoiled the fun for other players. Blizzard Entertainment has officially apologized for the problems at the launch and described the glitches and the steps taken to fix them.

Overwatch 2 and two queues

Huge queues to the servers have become, in a way, a hallmark of Overwatch 2 in the first days after the launch. In part, this was due to the aforementioned DDoS attacks, but Blizzard admitted that they were not the sole reason, but only made the existing problem more apparent.

Among other things, the developer addressed the issue of seemingly losing place in queue, i.e. a situation where the game suddenly displays a higher number than before. Blizzard explained that when logging into the game via Battle.net, players must go through two queues: one for the Battle.net itself and a separate one for the game.

This is nothing new - it's just that users usually don't see the whole process. Unless, as now, the game's servers are overloaded. Blizzard has already introduced a fix to simplify queuing, but that's only part of the solution.

OW2 server nodes

Also the game's servers have been partially fixed. "Partially," because the developers openly admit that players will still experience long queues.

Blizzard is trying to relieve the burden on the player database by adding so-called nodes, which in the long run will remove the bug that causes people to be kicked from the queue. The problem is that this requires backups, which, of course, puts additional strain on the system. Therefore, the studio has to create nodes slowly.

Overwatch 2 without a phone

On the subject of logging into Overwatch 2 it's also worth noting a change announced by Blizzard. Starting Friday, October 7, returning players will not have to provide a phone number to join the game.

This condition (the so-called SMS Protect) will be removed for those who connected to a Battle.net account and played the first installment of the series after July 9, 2021. New players will still be required to provide their phone number to prevent cheating in the game (or at least make it harder for cheaters to return).

"Lost" progress

The last issue raised in Blizzard's announcement is the problem with locked content, that is, de facto loss of progress. However, the developers assure that no accounts have been reset and all players will get all their inventory in Overwatch 2.

1. According to the developer, in half of the cases gear transfers simply take longer than they should, which falls out as an aftermath of the aforementioned server problems.
2. In other cases, it is a glitch related to the failure to connect accounts, which was often due to a missing part of the interface on consoles. Blizzard has already implemented a partial fix, but work is still underway to resolve other UI issues.

In addition, sometimes locked heroes and items are the result of a malfunction of the new FTUE (First Time User Experience) system, which also happens to work on old accounts. Re-logging in usually helps, but Blizzard encourages you to report cases where this does not solve the problem.

Problems continue

A comprehensive post describing the implemented and upcoming fixes (if only in very general terms) can be enjoyed as a sign of will to fix the aforementioned glitches. Unfortunately, player comments are not limited to the problems mentioned by Blizzard, or even just to the technical layer of the game.

Skin worth 8 months of gameplay

As is usually the case, Internet users are complaining about microtransactions - or rather, the progression system, which seems to encourage them. As announced, players can earn Overwatch coins either with money or by completing weekly tasks. This is a typical solution in free-to-play games and is unlikely to surprise anyone.

There is only one problem. You can get a maximum of 60 coins per week, when even a Rare skin for a hero is an expense of 300 coins. A Legendary can cost as much as 1900 Overwatch Coins, which means (in theory) the best skins require the player to "work" for at least eight months (via Reddit).

You could also put it this way: a week's worth of fun is worth... 60 cents. As a result, players suddenly started missing the otherwise hated lootboxes, which could be acquired much more easily and usually rewarded the effort more than the progression system from OW2.

Where's the fire?

Complaints about microtranscations are rather unsurprising - usually even less intrusive monetization systems in games arouse resentment among Internet users. However, even beyond this issue, it is possible to find objections to the second Overwatch put forward by fans of the first.

This is well demonstrated by one of the more popular threads on the brand's subforum on Reddit. User u/TommyTuShoes draws attention to the elements from the first Overwatch, which were unnecessarily removed in the sequel.

1. These include not only fan-favorite maps, but also, among other things, more accurate post-match summaries and the so-called On-fire indicator (showing how well a player is doing during the current game).
2. In the latter case, it's even more bizarre because the system seems to be still present - it just doesn't show up in the interface, but only through audio messages. Blizzard has given hope for further remodeling of these mechanics, but promised nothing tangible.

Overwatch 2 and "free-to-wait"

There are more similar threads, either pointing to removed improvements, or complaining about new content, more chaotic gameplay, etc., or disbelieving Blizzard's stated development time of OW2. There was also no shortage of humorous suggestions, such as changing the game's homepage to advertise it as not free-to-play, but... free-to-wait.

Nonetheless the community seems divided in its assessment of Overwatch 2 (leaving aside, of course, problems with joining the game). Does the new game really perform that badly compared to its predecessor, or are some of the complaints the result of combined nostalgia for the lost original and teething problems?

We still have to wait for the final verdict - preferably until all players manage to enter the game (maybe even more than once).