Overwatch 2 known bugs, launch issues, and how to fix them

Overwatch 2 is available now, but there have been some issues with its rollout. Here’s what you need to know.

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After several years in development, Overwatch 2 has finally arrived and is available now across all major gaming platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Switch. As Blizzard Entertainment brings its servers online, players from all over the world are getting their first taste of Overwatch 2’s new 5v5 format and are taking advantage of its new free-to-play model.

Unfortunately, players have also reported several bugs and launch issues following Overwatch 2’s rollout. Blizzard is working hard to solve these problems, but we’ve also documented them here so that you know what to look for and can take advantage of potential fixes and workarounds if there are any. Here’s a full list of every known Overwatch 2 bug and launch issue we’ve seen so far.

Top Overwatch 2 launch issues

Following Overwatch 2’s launch, players have begun to experience a variety of problems related to server stability, connections, and owned cosmetics. A full list of these issues can be found below.

Overwatch 2 “Error starting game, trying again” message

Players may experience an error message that says “Error starting game, trying again” when attempting to load into a match. This is due to an issue thatBlizzard is currently investigating, and unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to mitigate the problem. Players will simply need to be patient until a fix for the bug is deployed.

Overwatch 2 servers down

Blizzard has announced that Overwatch 2 is being taken offline on October 10 in order to perform maintenance and implement some important server fixes. Specifically, the servers are going down at8:00 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET for approximately one hour.

Overwatch 2 lost connection to server

Players may suddenly lose connection to the Overwatch 2 servers, causing them to get booted to the main menu. These issues will likely continue until Blizzard is able to fix ongoing issues with the game’s network, which the developer claims are due to amass DDoS attack on Overwatch 2. Players can always try to play again in the meantime by logging back in and queueing into new matches.

The developers haveconfirmedthat a server update is being made soon that will reduce instances of server disconnects. Once it goes live, players can expect this issue to occur less frequently.

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Overwatch 2 game server connection failed

Players may also fail to connect to Overwatch 2’s servers after getting through the queue full of thousands of players, which is no doubt very frustrating. If this happens, the only option players have is to simply wait as the game client retries to connect. Blizzard recently announced that a patch to the game has improved login reliability, so hopefully this problem doesn’t continue to persist for long.

Overwatch 2 unexpected server error

Some players that merged their PC and console Overwatch accounts have reported that they’ve been met with an Unexpected Server Error message while playing the game, preventing them from logging in or queueing into matchmaking. Blizzard has announced that this issue is due to the transfer of items from the original Overwatch to Overwatch 2 taking a long time, which results in the server error that players are experiencing. Relogging into the game may fix the problem, but otherwise, players will need to be patient.

Players may also experience this error if they haven’t yet completed their Overwatch account merge, which the developers say players may not have known about since a now-patched UI bug was causing the merge prompt to disappear. Refer to our guide onhow to merge Overwatch accountsfor more information on how to complete this process.

Overwatch 2 missing skins and cosmetics

Players may find that skins and other cosmetics they own are missing when they log into Overwatch 2. Blizzard has confirmed that this is an issue with the game’s launch, so players can expect to get access to their items soon as the developers continue working to resolve problems.

Overwatch 2 missing heroes

Players of the original Overwatch may log into Overwatch 2 only to find that most of the first game’s cast is unavailable to play. The developers have confirmed that this is an issue caused by Overwatch 2’s First Time User Experience being incorrectly applied to veteran players. Closing and relogging into the game is an effective workaround for this bug, though Blizzard is working on a more complete and permanent fix.

Overwatch 2 known bugs

In addition to the above launch-related issues, there are also several Overwatch 2 bugs that players may encounter while playing the game. These may affect your progression, and could also stop you from being able to review your game footage as well. A complete list of all reported bugs can be found below.

A few of these bugs can be fixed, avoided, or worked around, but for the most part, there’s not much players can do to solve these issues. Hopefully Blizzard is able to fix bugs like these soon so that more players can have a smoother, issue-free experience.

Overwatch 2 resolved bugs and issues

The following bugs and issues have been confirmed resolved by Blizzard, meaning that they should no longer affect players.

Overwatch 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It’s arguably one of thebest Xbox shootersavailable, and since it’s free-to-play, it doesn’t cost anything to check it out. Alternatively, players can purchase the Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack that provides access to Season 1’s Premium Battle Pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and a bundle of unique Legendary skins.

Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack

The $40 Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack offers fans a variety of benefits that will allow them to get guaranteed access to Season 1’s Premium Battle Pass track, unlock some unique rewards, provides some in-game currency to use, and more.

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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).