You want to play Overwatch 2? Then you need a mobile phone or smartphone. Otherwise you won’t even be able to gamble.
The next big game from Blizzard will be the remake of the hero shooter Overwatch – Overwatch 2. The next big beta test will start soon and you can register for it or buy it directly by purchasing the pre-order package. However, Overwatch 2 also has a small innovation that is not immediately obvious: If you want to play the game, you have to deposit a cell phone number with Blizzard.
Where does the info come from? This is freely visible to all players who want to buy the “Watchpoint Pack” in the Battle.net shop. Then in the fine print it says:
Internet connection, Battle.net Desktop App, and Battle.net account required to play. To play Overwatch 2, you need a cell phone number linked to your Battle.net account.
You must therefore store a cell phone number in your Battle.net settings if you want to play Overwatch 2.
Why is Blizzard doing this? Even if there is no official statement from Blizzard so far, the step seems understandable. Because Overwatch 2 will be a “Free2Play” game and therefore potentially accessible to all players. But because this generally also tempts players to act like the ax in the forest, the Battle.net account must first be linked to a cell phone number.
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So far, each cell phone number can only be linked to a single account. That should at least limit the amount of trolls and toxic players in Overwatch 2 a bit.
Blizzard has repeatedly emphasized in the past few months that they want to ensure a friendlier and safer environment in the games that excludes toxic players as quickly as possible. The fact that a mobile phone number is now required for some games seems to be a further step towards curbing toxic behavior. Because if every account needs its own number, that should at least persuade some players to behave a little more friendly. The creation of “disposable accounts” is thus more difficult.
What do you think of this additional condition? A good thing that will bring more friendliness to the game? Or a big hurdle that will prevent you from playing?