Overwatch 2: Stuck on Connecting to Game Server

Although Blizzard Activision continues to gradually pump out content for their newest free to play FPS Overwatch 2, some players aren’t able to so much as connect to the servers to even play the game. By this, we’re referring to the bug that causes the screens of players to be stuck on ‘Connecting to Server’ for a while until eventually, the game server connection fails.

To fix the eternal ‘connecting to game server’ big, you’ll have to go through a couple of potential fixes, such as uninstalling and reinstalling the game and checking online to see if the servers are having problems.

Fortunately, we’re here to go through the various potential fixes to this problem so you can get back to winning those comp matches. Of course, we won’t be talking about the obvious fixes such as ensuring your internet connection works, as chances are you’ve already gone through most of them.

Method #1: Check for Server Outages

Back in September of 2022 when the game had newly launched, the number of players getting this exact bug was at an all time high. It was eventually found out that the issue was, in fact, an internal one.

Although the Overwatch 2 development and support teams had identified the issue, it took some time to get all the accounts up and running, because of which some players weren’t able to connect to the servers with one account but were able to with a different account.

To ensure this isn’t the case with you, we recommend you do two things:

• Go to a website like downddetector to see if the servers are completely down or not. If the servers are allegedly up, but several users are reporting issues, then move on to the second thing on this list.
• Go to a social media website such as Twitter or Reddit to see if other players are experiencing the same issue as you.

If you find that other players are also having the same problem as you, then the only thing you can do is wait it out, as chances are it’ll be fixed eventually.

Method #2: Uninstall and Reinstall Overwatch 2

If it isn’t a server error, then you might have to uninstall and then reinstall the game. To uninstall Overwatch 2 on PC, 

1. Open the Battle.net desktop app 
2. Select the icon for the game you want to uninstall 
3. Select the drop down arrow next to the play button 
4. Select Uninstall.

After the uninstallation process is completed, simply click on the ‘install button’ to reinstall the game.

Now, this is very important. While the game is being installed, you’ll still be able to log in if you’re playing on a console. However, we highly recommend you wait for the installation process to be completed before attempting to log in, as otherwise, you might face the same or maybe other connection based problems.

Method #3: Use the Scan and Repair Tool

If neither of the above options worked, then there’s a chance that you have an internal file issue, in which case using the battle.net scan and repair tool should do the trick. In order to use the tool:

• Launch Battle.net and select the game you want to use the scan and repair tool on (in this case Overwatch 2) 
• Click the cogwheel next to the Play button and select ‘Scan and Repair’.

• Click Begin Scan. 
• Wait for the repair to finish.
• When the repairing process is complete, launch the game and you should be able to successfully connect to the game server.