With the recent fiasco in Overwatch 2 and the negative player response to the SMS Protect feature of the game, it seems that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may be going down the same path. Along with many issues that plagued the launch of Overwatch 2, one of the biggest things the game received negative feedback for was that it required players to have a phone number to register for SMS Protect. Though this number was originally intended to prevent smurfing by using burner phones, it backfired in an exceptionally negative fashion. It punished many players for having pre-paid phones, VOIP numbers, and more. But what does this mean for fans of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2?
SMS Protect May Be Coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
According to an article posted on Battle.net,
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, newly created Overwatch 2 accounts, and newly created Call of Duty: Modern Warfare accounts, require that you add a phone number to your Battle.net account.”
This likely means that players must follow the same protocol as Overwatch 2.
While the requirement for Overwatch 2 was recently walked back a bit, players must still have a working phone number. This number cannot be a pre-paid number, part of any texting app such as WhatsApp or iMessage, or was ever pre-paid number in the past.
Phone Numbers are Still Required
It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out in the future, considering the recent changes by Blizzard to the requirements based on the player uproar. However, the SMS Protect feature is still controversial and seems to punish players who do not have access or the means to access a “post-paid” cell phone plan.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is scheduled to be released on October 28, 2022.
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