Watch out: An Overwatch 2 bug is causing PCs to shut down

Overwatch 2
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

The launch of Overwatch 2 has been anything but smooth, as players have experienced everything from unfathomably long queue times and frequent server disconnects to missing skins, locked heroes, and frustrating UI glitches. One bug that's unlike any other, though, is an issue with the PC version of the game that's causing computers to freeze, shut down, or restart whenever players are queued for a match.

Based on the replies in the official Blizzard forums support thread for the bug, it seems like the issue has something to do with Overwatch 2 causing CPU heat spikes so severe that safety mechanisms kick in, shutting the PC off before the processor suffers a meltdown. It's unclear what causes this at the moment, and so far, players haven't been able to find effective workarounds for the problem, either.

The good news is that Blizzard is actively investigating the issue, and is currently collecting information about the hardware used by players that have been affected by the bug. If you've experienced sudden shut downs or restarts while playing Overwatch 2, head to the aforementioned support thread and post a dxdiag file of your PC specs (you can learn how to check your PC's full specifications and generate one here).

Ultimately, it's probably best to avoid playing Overwatch 2 on PC right now until the developers are able to figure out what's causing the problem and is able to deploy a fix for it. While thousands of players are no doubt very excited to get into the game after days of dealing with bugs and launch issues, overheating your CPU to the point of an automatic shut down isn't good for the health of your system. We'll update this article with more information when Blizzard has more to share.

Overwatch 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It's arguably one of the best Xbox shooters available, and since it's free-to-play, it doesn't cost anything to check it out. Alternatively, players can purchase the Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack that provides access to Season 1's Premium Battle Pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and a bundle of unique Legendary skins.

Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack

Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack

The $40 Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack offers fans a variety of benefits that will allow them to get guaranteed access to Season 1's Premium Battle Pass track, unlock some unique rewards, provides some in-game currency to use, and more.

See at Microsoft | See at Battle.net

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).