Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming out later this month, but there's a surprise that many potential players don't see coming. According to a page on Battle.net, Modern Warfare 2 players will need to provide a phone number tied to a valid data plan. Also, VOIP and prepaid numbers will not work.
This decision is apparently part of a company-wide initiative to combat toxic behavior in Activision Blizzard's multiplayer games. We saw the policy last week while reviewing the launch of Overwatch 2, which has sparked controversy. In theory, this requirement will prevent malicious players (like smurfs and cheaters) from creating new accounts, which means they will be held accountable for their actions.
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However, restricting VOIP and prepaid numbers can prevent hackers from getting back into the system, but it also has the unfortunate side-effect of preventing people who rely on such services from playing the game entirely. Given that Overwatch 2 is supposedly a free game, that seems against the company's intentions. Additionally, given that prepaid phones are often cheaper than their competitors, this policy will definitely hit the poorest and underprivileged people the most, as well as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 fans who are too small to own their own phones.
While Overwatch 2 isn't the first game to require a valid phone number to play online, The Verge and reports from the overall player base suggest Battle.net is far more strict on prepaid and VOIP phone plans than games like Dota 2. In response to the controversy, Activision Blizzard announced that they will waive their phone policy for those who play the original Overwatch and have a linked Battle.net account. However, new users still need to provide a phone number.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is out on October 28. The game released its debut trailer last week.