Frustrated Parent - Overwatch 2

General Discussion
#1

Edit: Bravo to blizzard for admitting their mistake and providing a timeline for a fix. My sons are very excited to be able to play this weekend!

I’m extremely frustrated by the apparent SMS requirement of the new game update. I’m a blizzard gamer myself, and have a battle.net account that I use daily (Wow player here).

My two sons are minors. They do not have cell phones. They play (or used to play) overwatch on their Nintendo Switch’s. After the update, they’re unable to play because of the phone number requirement. My phone number is already in use on my account, so I cannot add it to theirs. My wife has a Battle.net account, and hers is in use there. What am I supposed to do here? Is the answer really that I need to go purchase two additional phone lines so that they can play? What?

Apparently the game that I purchased for them, Overwatch, is now dead an unplayable, and they cannot play OW2.

343 Likes
#2

Agree with this fully. I have 2 accounts. One I play with my wife. The other for solo queue. Now I can only choose one. What gives.

69 Likes
#3

I mean, at one hand I can celebrate being right about this change exactly causing this issue, though then again it’s not a good thing.

9 Likes
#4

The game is rated T for teen.

28 Likes
#8

“Do yOu GuyS nOt hAVe pHonEs?!”

It’s incredible how they never learned from their absolute embarrassment during their own blizzCON.

107 Likes
#11

Teens are minors, lmao

84 Likes
#15

Get a coworker, neighbor, family member, friend to download the authenticator and help you out.

#19

It’s to eliminate multiple accounts for those who smurf, grief or troll. Personally, I love this idea.

30 Likes
#21

The game is rated T for teens. If they’re teens, they should have cell phones lol… If they’re younger than teens, this game isn’t suitable for them.

8 Likes
#22

Adults, kids, families, poorer people, Blizzard really just wants to capture that middle+ class teen to young adult demographic only huh

18 Likes
#23

The phone number requirement is to avoid “smurfs.” I was given a cell phone when I was 12. Hence, the game is rated “T” for “teen.” Your kids must be younger than that.

3 Likes
#24

Smurfing doesn’t exist. Anyone that thinks it does is just mad that they’re bad at the game and got beaten by a newb.

How do you think the game calculates SR? Magic? No, it tracks everything you do and assigns you to a rank based on decisions you make. If someone that is GM comes in with a new account, in a couple of matches the algorithm will place them with higher level players.

8 Likes
#25

I mean, “in a couple of matches” no. I’ve peaked 4060 one-tricking Lucio and have 8 accounts. I’ve never thrown, but I was always placed plat and stomped players for hours on my way up to Masters.

10 Likes
#26

Yes. Sorry. :frowning:

1 Like
#29

Yes, and someone else is given a Lambo for their 16th birthday. So what?

It’s a sh*t system through and through. I never came across a PC game that prevented people from playing if they didn’t have a phone and as is evident here, many kids out there do play games and not have phones.

And Overwatch is kid friendly… or was, until this free-to-play trash came out.

47 Likes
#30

Not exactly terms and condition compliant but you can ask them to use your acc as a stop gap?

Granted, it does sucks that you all cant play together.

#31

so you’re part of the problem? Cool story, though! Then everyone applauded, am I right?

r/thathappened

#32

Lol I mean, yea I’m definitely to blame for this. But to think it takes 5 games to get where you’re supposed to be is silly and false

7 Likes
#34

You won’t be able to play together, but can you still merge one of your PC accounts with the Switch one?

You’ll have to make sure they don’t get you banned, but they should be able to play.

#38

My friend was GM, he started a new account and it placed him very shortly into games at his rank. The algorithm can figure out very quickly where you are placed. If you were winning, it’s because you were generally good, but the story is unlikely. You probably get beaten and are bitter about “smurfs” or you wouldn’t be posting in defense of it.

so wait wait, now you’ve turned a new leaf and you’re altruistic? Even though you had 8 accounts? Cool story!

5 Likes