Overwatch2 Launch Hit by Massive DDoS Attack

The launch of Blizzard Entertainment's new free-to-play game, Overwatch 2, has been troubled as the company reported being hit with a massive DDoS attack that slowed down connections for players, making the game unplayable.

The first Overwatch was one of the most recognized multiplayer games in recent years, and the gaming community awaited the sequel with bated breath. Unfortunately, multiplayer launches rarely go according to plan, as the influx of new players usually causes problems in the first few days. It takes time for companies to properly deploy new resources and correctly estimate the user base.

While Blizzard and players expected some problems during the launch, many people reported they couldn't play the game. The game just showed a connection error, and gamers could simply not connect.

It turns out that an unknown actor hit Blizzard's servers with a DDoS attack and hampered users' connections, which in turn affected the game's launch. The president of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Ybarra, took to Twitter to explain.

"Unfortunately we are experiencing a mass DDoS attack on our servers," he said. "Teams are working hard to mitigate/manage. This is causing a lot of drop/connection issues."

The attackers didn't stop, and even launched a second DDoS attack as the company was still trying to mitigate the effects of the first.

"We're steadily making progress on server issues and stability, as well as working through a second DDoS attack," said the Game Director of Overwatch 2, Aaron Keller. "We're all hands on deck and will continue to work throughout the night. Thank you for your patience - we'll share more info as it becomes available."

The only bit of good news is that DDoS attacks don't last forever, and it looks like Blizzard is taking the steps needed to fix this problem and make the game playable for everyone.