Overwatch 2 server downtime is leaving players of the Blizzard FPS game perplexed after it arrived later than scheduled. Alongside the decision to remove Overwatch 2 phone verification, Blizzard announced it would be implementing several lengthy periods of server downtime just days after its launch on October 4 in attempts to fix both account merge and login issues, as well as implementing “significant upgrades” to the multiplayer game’s server database.
The Overwatch 2 servers went down for two extended periods over the course of October 6, the first in an attempt to resolve the Overwatch 2 account merge and login issues. These have left many players missing their unlocked Overwatch cosmetic items from the first game or finding that several of the Overwatch 2 heroes are locked because they have been mistakenly determined to be a new user, thus placing them into the ‘first time user experience.’
The second Overwatch 2 server outage was initially planned to last for three hours while server upgrades were implemented. However, it didn’t actually take effect until around 90 minutes after its initial scheduled time, leaving many players confused, especially as it was planned to take place from 6pm PT / 9pm ET – placing it during prime time hours for users in America.
Fortunately, despite the late start the servers were back up just 15 minutes after Blizzard’s original scheduled timing. However, many players have found themselves left in the same situation as before. The queue number anomalies are still prevalent, with numerous examples such as one user reporting, “It finally gave me a merge queue option when I booted up the game [post-downtime] and now I’m waiting behind 460,000 people.” Others say their items are still not back, or that their heroes are still erroneously trapped in the first time user experience.
Above all, players are generally frustrated about the communication (or lack thereof) from Blizzard. While its post explaining the basic issues and when server downtime would be offers some clarity on the situation, many fans have been left confused by downtime that lands outside of the scheduled times with no additional notification, and doesn’t appear to have resolved the issues in question afterwards. Launching a live game such as this is certainly no small feat, but with players left feeling in the dark there’s a general air of disappointment brewing that Blizzard might find tough to shake in the coming weeks.
Overwatch 2 server error issues have been exacerbated by suspected DDoS attacks. If you have managed to log in, we’ve got everything you need to know about the Overwatch 2 meta and how Overwatch 2 competitive ranks and points work. If you fancy putting hands on the newest heroes, check out our Overwatch 2 Junker Queen guide and Overwatch 2 Kiriko guide for all their abilities and some gameplay tips to get you started.