Activision Blizzard has further walked back its phone requirements for SMS Protect. Essentially a two-factor authentication system, SMS Protect required both Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty players to tie a phone number to their Battle.net account in order to play either game. The requirement was controversial as it initially required a phone contract, leaving those on pay-as-you-go without access to either game.However, the requirement for a phone contract has now been waived. "Battle.net will now accept pre-paid phones globally," wrote Activision Blizzard on both the Overwatch and Call of Duty Twitter accounts, walking back its contract requirements for SMS Protect.The Overwatch and Warzone publisher has been steadily easing restrictions on its SMS Protect system since being introduced. Initially required for all players, Blizzard removed the phone number requirement for existing Overwatch accounts before Overwatch 2’s launch. Likewise for Call of Duty, the phone contract requirement was waived for console players and only enforced for PC players.
In addition to protecting players from hackers looking to hijack accounts, tying account creation to phone numbers is also seen as a method for reducing the number of bots in both Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Although Uber typically requires a phone, you won't need one to get a ride from the Warzone 2 Uber Driver, better known as TikTok user Ziccs. He's been driving around in Warzone using the proximity chat to first beg players not to shoot up his ride and then to ask them where they're headed. After dropping them off, he then demands $100, which seems like a lot for an Uber ride, but I'm not sure how much Uber marks up rides in a warzone.