Activision confirms Modern Warfare 2 phone number requirement despite OW2 issues

Fans are eager to finally get their hands on Modern Warfare 2, but a new roadblock may prevent players from accessing the game.

Activision Blizzard introduced a controversial phone number verification system to Overwatch 2. Unfortunately, players with certain phones or plans couldn’t access the game.

After a wave of backlash, the developers decided to scrap part of the system. Players no longer have to provide a phone number to play, but still need to meet SMS Protection requirments, which only prevents the use of pre-paid phones or VOIP.

Modern Warfare 2 will require a phone number to access the game, and if the response is anything like we saw with Overwatch 2, fans won’t be happy

Modern Warfare 2 will require a phone number

A big question that most players will be asking is why Activision Blizzard is requiring a phone number to play Modern Warfare 2?

Modern Warfare 2 has a skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) system to create matches that include players with similar skill levels, but loopholes are revealing SBMM’s flaws.

“Reverse boosting” by killing yourself or letting yourself get killed repeatedly allows players to trick the SBMM system into placing you into easier lobbies. But with SMS verification, it will be easier to ban and prevent reverse boosters from creating these imbalanced and unequal games.

Call of Duty

Players also create new accounts to weasel around SBMM, but linking a phone number to an account theoretically solves that problem.

Activision Blizzard revealed elgibility and limitations for the phone number verification system.

• Messaging apps like iMessage (iOS) or WhatsApp (iOS, Android) are not supported.
• Mobile phones with prepaid plans may not work with the phone notification service.
• Phone notifications cannot be used with Voice over IP (VoIP), and VoIP numbers that are transferred to a local provider are not eligible for the service.

We will provide any updates if the developers back track like they did with Overwatch 2.