Sike: Overwatch 2 again requires your phone number

If you were happy that Blizzard has largely dropped the requirement for SMS Protect, a method to curb the creation of Monitor 2 accounts of potential bad actors, I’m sorry to disappoint you but it’s back. Yes, the publisher announced in an updated blog post whether SMS Protect has been reactivated meaning whether you have a prepaid mobile phone or not, soon you will need to connect a phone number to your Battle.net account to play Monitor 2.

Monitor 2 has been a bit of a mess since its October 4 release. Maps have been removed. The servers were flooded at launch, rendering the game largely unplayable. A one third of the list was locked and some heroes, like Bastion and Mayhave been removed so that Blizzard can fix issues with their kits.

Monitor 2 went through it, and the SMS Protect number requirement was another thorn in the side of gamers. some said my city it was like “to be punished for being poor” because SMS Protect did not allow prepaid numbers thus preventing low income people from playing free hero shooter game. Following rapid backlash over the controversial requirement, Blizzard reversed the decision, saying people with a connected Battle.net account “won’t have to provide a phone number to play.” Monitor 2.

Read more: Monitor 2Telephone requirement: “It’s like being punished for being poor” [Update: Gone For Most]

Well, Blizzard has changed its mind again. In an updated blog post on Nov. 17, the publisher said that SMS Protect for Monitor 2 is making a comeback.

“Starting today, we’re extending global access to SMS Protect to prepaid phones,” Blizzard wrote in the blog post update. “We are delighted to welcome more players to Monitor 2 while continuing our commitment to combating disruptive behavior and protecting the integrity of the player experience. This update may take several hours to fully roll out, and we can’t wait to see you in game!”

my city has contacted Blizzard for comment.

While Blizzard said in its updated blog post on Nov. 17 that SMS Protect would appear in “several hours,” I simply had to add a phone number to a newly created Battle.net account. So I guess the requirement came into effect earlier than expected by the company. Great.

At the same time, Blizzard announced the return of SMS Protect, Monitor 2the new executive producer of Jared Neuss published a separate blog about game updates. This includes tweaking the progression system so that you “feel good about how much time you’ve just spent in the game”, improving wait times so they’re “more accurate in the UI”, adjust matchmaking to better “determine a player’s skill level and division,” and make balance changes to heroes that are “good for the current state of the game “.

There are also experiments underway for the battle pass so the rewards are more rewarding and less grumpy, but those updates “may take longer to lock in,” Neuss said.

“A quick note: Sharing plans before they’re finalized is risky,” Neuss wrote in the blog post. “Development on a live game like Monitor 2 requires constantly juggling between urgent player needs, long-term ambitions and live issues. It’s easier and safer to talk about the job once it’s almost done and ready to ship. That said, I think sharing our thoughts early is the right thing to do, so we can create better dialogue between the development team and the community. Do not hesitate to send us your comments: we read it, we are inspired by it, we use it in our development plans. Ultimately, we need it to make sure we’re building a game you want to keep playing for years to come.

Snow storm, which is known for its toxic work cultureannounced Monitor 2The second season of will begin on December 6. This content bundle will include a new map, another battle pass, and Ramattra tank hero, which is unlockable after reaching level 55 on the battle pass. Shame.