Overwatch 2 removes requirement for mobile phone number on legacy accounts
Amidst Overwatch 2's launch troubles, Blizzard is backtracking on one of its more controversial decisions. Initially, all Overwatch 2 players were required to give their mobile phone numbers as part of Blizzard's SMS Protect program. This program would verify new accounts through a mobile phone number in order to stop "disruptive behaviour" and to prevent banned accounts from simply re-registering (since Overwatch 2 is now free-to-play).
In an interview with Forbes last week, Overwatch 2 lead software engineer Bill Warnecke acknowledged that the program may be too strict and that it is "totally reasonable" for players to want more than one account, but that stopping bad actors is more important. He also confirmed that Blizzard would block pay-as-you-go and VOIP numbers.
“There's some cases where a totally good player, someone who has no bad intentions, no cheating intentions, may be negatively impacted by SMS Protect if you have multiple accounts,” Warnecke said. “This is a barrier for a legitimate player. It's one that we took really seriously and deliberated a lot on as we discussed adding this feature.
The fan reaction to this news was overwhelmingly negative. There were concerns about privacy issues, as well as the lack of options for those without a mobile phone. One reddit user felt "ashamed" that he could only afford a prepaid phone plan and that "Blizzard is the first company to make me feel too poor to play a game." The program has also affected parents who may have more than one child who plays the game and doesn't have a mobile device.
Now, just two days after its launch, Blizzard has confirmed it will disable the mobile phone requirement for certain users starting tomorrow. Any players who connect their battle.net account and have played Overwatch since June 9, 2021, will not be required to provide a phone number. While it doesn't address all of the concerns with SMS Protect, it should at least help returning Overwatch players enjoy the sequel.