Overwatch 2 got off to a somewhat rocky start during its launch yesterday. Blizzard confirmed the game was hit by at least two DDoS attacks, making it difficult for many players to try out the free-to-play hero shooter.
Blizzard President Mike Ybarra said on Twitter that they experienced “a mass DDoS attack” and that this was causing a lot of connection issues. The game’s director Aaron Keller confirmed a second DDoS attack and that the team was working through the night to remedy the issue.
While virtually all game launches are fraught, especially if they are free-to-play and as popular as Overwatch, these DDoS attacks may have exacerbated the issue. In my own experience, I was added to the end of a 30,000-person queue, and when I finally got to the front, I was repeatedly given a login error and kicked to the back of the line. It took me around four hours to finally get in.
And beyond login issues, the launch of Overwatch 2 comes with some complicated baggage. The original Overwatch was outright replaced by its successor and can no longer be played, meaning each change, such as the shift to 5v5, will be scrutinized.
Additionally, there were mixed feelings around many of the business decisions made before launch, such as how hero unlocks will be gated behind the Battle Pass, or that new players will have to sit through 100 matches before gaining full access to the original’s cast.