Blizzard SMS Protect system: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 to use this new verification tool

Blizzard Entertainment has recently released Overwatch 2 for multiple platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, PC and more. With this game, the publisher has introduced a new two-factor authentication system called SMS Protect that aims to defend players from in-game abuse and toxicity. Now, a new support page from the company confirms that users who want to play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (which releases on October 28) will also have to link their phone numbers to their Battle.net account to access the title.
Importance of the SMS Protect system
In a blog post, Blizzard explained that SMS Protect helps users to verify ownership of their accounts “in the unforeseen event of an account compromise.” This verification tool also makes it difficult for disruptive players to return to the game after being banned or suspended.
Linking phone numbers to play a game is not a new thing, Dota has been using a similar tool since 2017 and Rainbow Six Siege also has the same requirement. Blizzard has now announced that users with “newly created” Modern Warfare accounts will also need a phone number to play the upcoming title.

The gaming studio will also send notifications to the added phone numbers whenever important changes are made to the linked account or if their account is locked due to a suspicious login attempt.
The controversy around the SMS Protect system
Overwatch 2 with its phone-linking system had a rough start as a DDoS attack initially prevented several players from accessing the game. However, that didn’t end the row as SMS Protect didn’t allow certain numbers like prepaid and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) numbers. This restriction was criticised as the system didn’t allow players with a prepaid number to play Overwatch.
This controversy compelled Blizzard to roll back on the verification tool. Earlier, Blizzard made the 2FA system a prerequisite for everyone and later, the gaming studio updated its terms and asked only new players to link their phones. SMS Protect’s discretion against prepaid and VOIP numbers will prevent several new players to join the action as everyone might not be ready to change their telecom plans for a few games.

SMS Protect for Call of Duty Warzone 2.0
Activision Blizzard is set to launch the second iteration of Call of Duty Warzone on November 16 and it is not clear whether the upcoming game will also implement SMS Protect or not. PC users who played Warzone had to go through a two-factor authentication process in 2020.