Update 14/10/22: Activision has clarified that the mobile phone number requirement isn’t the same as Overwatch 2 for Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) and Modern Warfare 2 (2022).
The mobile number requirement is only for PC only and not console players.
Original Story 11/10/22: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 will apparently require your mobile phone number in order to play the game. Fantastic!
When the highly anticipated launch of Overwatch 2 arrived last week, it was a bit messy, to say the least. Long queue times, server disconnects and a lacklustre battle pass to name a few. However, arguably the biggest issue was the requirement for your phone number to be connected to your battle.net account.
Overwatch requires your mobile number
The reason Activision Blizzard requires your phone number is to activate “SMS Protect”. The purpose of SMS Protect is to make it difficult for banned players to create new accounts as well as to protect against unlawful access to battle.net accounts.
In theory, the system seemingly has good intentions. However, where the issues lie is the fact that having a VOIP number or pre-paid mobile sim card can’t be used to verify battle.net accounts. Meaning it will stop fans from playing Overwatch 2.
Furthermore, parts of the world might not offer contract sim cards or perhaps some cannot afford a contract sim card. Activision has updated its requirement slightly, meaning that new Overwatch players from 2021 will not need to verify an account with an active mobile number. However, it’s still far from perfect.
“Any Overwatch player with a connected Battle.net account, which includes all players who have played since June 9, 2021, will not have to provide a phone number to play,” Blizzard said.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare also requires your mobile number
Unfortunately, with the upcoming launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it seems that the same mobile requirement will be implemented. Sadly, at the time of writing, unlike Overwatch 2, post-2021 players will still need to sign up with their mobile number.
As reported by VGC, the battle.net support page reads: “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, newly created Overwatch 2 accounts, and newly created Call of Duty: Modern Warfare accounts require a phone number.”
Furthermore, as spotted by Eurogamer, if you think there might be a workaround for playing Modern Warfare 2 on PC Steam, think again. Because you “must” attach a valid mobile number to your Steam account to play the MW2 reboot.
Hopefully, Activision Blizzard will fix this issue asap, preferably before the launch of Modern Warfare 2. As popular as the Overwatch series is, it pales in comparison to the goliath that is Call of Duty and there will be a lot angrier gamers out there if they can’t get their CoD fix.
When Is Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Being Released?
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 will be released on October 28th for PC, PlayStation as well as Xbox. However, if you pre-order the game digitally, you will get access to its single player campaign a week early. Happy days!
When Will The New Call of Duty Warzone Arrive?
The new incarnation of the free-to-play battle royale shooter dubbed “Warzone 2.0” will launch about two weeks after Modern Warfare 2 on November 16th.
Do you believe that Activision will fix this problem before it truly spirals out of control? Let us know across our social media channels.
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