The Overwatch 2 servers are now live, but players have been having a hard time accessing them, possibly due to a series of DDoS attacks that have occurred concurrently with the launch. Since the servers went live on October 4th, there have been huge queues to get in, and often players still can’t get into the game despite having 0 players ahead of them.
Perhaps most notably, Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra announced that Overwatch 2 was suffering from a “massive DDoS” attack shortly after launch, which he says is causing “a lot of connection/dropping issues.” It’s unclear who is doing this or why, though Blizzard has faced a lot of ire regarding some of the game’s design choices.
Size: 640×360480×270
Do you want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or sign in now!
Please use a browser that supports HTML5 videos to view videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
Sorry, but you cannot access this content!
Enter your date of birth to view this video
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900
By clicking “Enter”, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
to enter
Now playing: Overwatch 2 – Everything to know
In a late-night update from game director Aaron Keller, it was revealed that a second DDoS was underway, but that Blizzard was “steadily making progress on server issues and stability.” He added: “We are all on deck and will continue to work throughout the night. Thank you for your patience; we will share more information as it becomes available.”
Blizzard previously acknowledged an “unexpected server error” that some players are experiencing. Additionally, the studio has confirmed issues with player unlocks, including skins not appearing, as well as Watchpoint Pack buyers not having access to them. There’s no word on when these issues will be fixed, but the BlizzardCS Twitter account provides updates as they come in, and a list of known issues has been compiled on the Overwatch forums.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our ongoing Overwatch 2 review. The original story follows.
Overwatch 2 finally comes out today, October 4th. After several false starts and delays, the servers go live today at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT, and you can now pre-load it on all platforms.
Arguably one of the most anticipated games of the year, the Overwatch sequel was first announced at BlizzCon 2019. However, despite its long development cycle, longer than many thought, the game that launch today is not quite. the full experience as it only features its revamped 5v5 PvP modes.
However, it is free and does not include the (in)famous loot box model of its predecessor. Also, you’ll need to link a phone number to your Battle.net account in order to play, so make sure you take care of that sooner rather than later.
While this is certainly the core of the Overwatch experience, many fans have been looking forward to the sequel’s promised PvE game modes. This early access version doesn’t include them yet, so keep an eye out for them at a later date.
Of course, Overwatch 2’s pending release comes at a huge cost, as Overwatch 1’s servers were shut down on October 2 to prepare for the sequel’s release. Regardless of how you personally feel about the original Overwatch, there’s no denying that it’s one of the most important multiplayer games of the 2010s, and it’s pretty sad that you can no longer play it in its original 6v6 form.
In our ongoing Overwatch 2 review, reviewer Jessica Howard mostly enjoyed her first few hours with the game, though she questioned whether it’s a true successor to the iconic original. “Where it counts, Overwatch 2 looks like a fantastic update to a multiplayer game with mechanics that allow for exciting skirmishes between teams of heroes,” he wrote. “However, as a separate entity and sequel, it stumbles.”
GameSpot may receive a commission for retail offers.
Our editors independently chose the products discussed here. GameSpot may earn a share of the revenue if you purchase something featured on our site.