Overwatch 2, The highly anticipated sequel to the team-based shooter launches on Tuesday, October 4 at 11pm GST and there’s a few things players need to do in order to be able to jump right into the game.
The sequel will be available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Activate SMS Protect
As part of their free-to-play transition, developer Blizzard Entertainment have implemented a new SMS protection requirement which needs to be activated. Players will need to link an eligible phone number to their Battle.net Account to be able to play Overwatch 2.
It should also be noted that certain types of phone numbers such as pre-paid and VOIP cannot be used.
The reason for SMS Protect is to not only to add an extra layer of protection to your account should you be hacked for example, but it’s also to prevent in-game cheating and cyberbullying.
The need for a linked phone number helps verify the account owner and the fact that the same number can’t be used on multiple accounts will also help prevent disruptive players, who’ve been suspended or banned from simply making a new account to resume their cheating ways for example.
That would be some serious dedication if a banned player went out to buy a new SIM card just to get back into the game. Could’ve just played fair and spent that money on a sweet skin.
Even if players own a box version of the original Overwatch, they’ll still need to activate SMS Protect to play Overwatch 2.
How to activate SMS Protect
- Click here to create an account or log in to your existing one and then navigate to Account Details.
- Add your phone number, including the area code, where it says Phone Number. Remember that country code is restricted to the designated country listed on your Blizzard account.
- Click Continue. You’ll then receive an incoming SMS text message prompting you with a verification code. Enter this code in the field and click “Continue” to activate SMS protection.
If you’re in the Middle East and creating Battle.net account for the first time, select Europe as your region as Blizzard states that this is for players in the European Union, Eastern Europe, Russia, Africa and the Middle East.
When playing Overwatch 2, you won’t need to worry about picking a specific region, because the game automatically places you in the best match based on your ping.
How to transfer progress
Overwatch 2 will completely replace the original Overwatch which first released back in 2016. However, players who’ve clocked a lot of hours into the game won’t have to worry about all that hard work being for nothing.
Overwatch 2 will have cross-progression, meaning that players can merge multiple Overwatch accounts to carry progression and in-game cosmetics into Overwatch 2 on a single profile.
For example, if you played the original game on PC but want to play Overwatch 2 on console, all you need to do is:
- Login to Overwatch from your console account.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to scan a QR Code on your mobile phone.
- Enter the code displayed on your console to connect to or create your Blizzard Battle.net Account.
- Once complete, you will be prompted to confirm your account upon the next game login to merge your accounts.
If you’ve only ever played Overwatch on a single platform, then you won’t need to do anything as your progress will automatically carry over.
For PC players, their progress will automatically carry over into Overwatch 2 and they’ll still have the option to merge any console accounts they may have to their battle.net account.
To learn more about cross progression and account merging in Overwatch 2, click here.
When you can download Overwatch 2
When you can download the game depends on whether you’re a new or existing player and which gaming platform you’re using.
For new players, you can start downloading the game as soon as it drops at 11pm GST on October 4.
Those who are existing users on PC, Overwatch 2 can be pre-downloaded a few days ahead of its official launch, starting from approximately 12:30am GST on October 1.
Existing Console users will have to wait until approximately 8pm GST on October 4 to download the game.
When does Overwatch shut down?
Players will have until 8pm GST on October 3 to play the original Overwatch before it is gone forever. After that, everyone will have to wait 27 hours before they can begin playing Overwatch 2.