Overwatch 2 Ready Check: Prepare for Launch! (2024)

Launch Checklist for Existing Players and Watchpoint Pack owners

• REQUIRED TO PLAY: Activate SMS Protection—As part of our free-to-play transition, all players must attach an eligible cell phone number to their Battle.net Account to play Overwatch 2. This is part of our Defense Matrix initiative, a multi-pronged system to combat disruptive in-game behavior. You can read more about the Defense Matrix here. Here's how to activate SMS protection on your account:
  1. Visit https://account.battle.net/ and log in. Navigate to "Account Details".
  2. Add your phone number, including the area code, where it says, "Phone Number". Please note, country code is restricted to the designated country listed on your Blizzard account and certain types of phone numbers, including pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect.
  3. Click "Continue". You'll receive an incoming SMS text message prompting you with a verification code. Enter this code in the field and click "Continue" to activate SMS protection. More info on adding a phone number to your account can be found here.

• Pre-download Overwatch 2—To ensure you’re able to play right away on launch day, make sure you’ve got the game pre-loaded on your device!
  • For existing PC users and Watchpoint Pack owners on PC, Overwatch 2 can be pre-downloaded starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. PDT on September 30 and is a ~50 GB download. This download will happen automatically in the background if you have automatic updates enabled on Battle.net, otherwise you must manually begin the download by clicking on the gear icon on the right side of the play button and selecting "Check for Updates".
  • For existing console users, this can be done starting at approximately 9:00 a.m. PDT on October 4 and is a ~30 GB download.

• Merge your accounts—With the launch of cross-progression, players can merge multiple Overwatch accounts to carry progression and in-game cosmetics into Overwatch 2 on a single profile. Existing players with multiple accounts must confirm their account merge to carry over progress from Overwatch into Overwatch 2. If you’ve only made progress in Overwatch on a single platform, no action is needed from you. For more information on Account Merge, check out our FAQ.

Launch Checklist for New Players

• Create your Battle.net account—A Battle.net account is required to play Overwatch 2 on every platform. You can create your Battle.net account here.

• REQUIRED TO PLAY: Activate SMS Protection—All players much attach an eligible cell phone number to their Battle.net Account to play Overwatch 2. This is part of our Defense Matrix, a multi-pronged system to combat disruptive behavior. You can read more about the Defense Matrix here. Here's how to activate SMS protection on your account:
  1. Visit https://account.battle.net/ and log in. Navigate to "Account Details".
  2. Add your phone number, including the area code, where it says, "Phone Number". Please note, country code is restricted to the designated country listed on your Blizzard account and certain types of phone numbers, including pre-paid and VOIP, cannot be used for SMS Protect.
  3. Click "Continue". You'll receive an incoming SMS text message prompting you with a verification code. Enter this code in the field and click "Continue" to activate SMS protection. More info on adding a phone number to your account can be found here.

• Download Overwatch 2—For new console and PC users, this can be done at launch starting at approximately 12:00 p.m. PDT on October 4. The download size for console is ~30 GB and the download size for PC is ~50 GB.