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Tracer grabbing Sombra to dance with her at a party while Brigitte, Kiriko, and D.Va cheer them on.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

How to fix Memory Leak in Overwatch 2

Fix memory leaks in OW2 to avoid unwanted crashes.

Memory leak in Overwatch 2 is a sneaky bug that might eventually cause the game to crash. When Overwatch 2 starts using more and more RAM as you rack up more hours in the game, it may run out of resources and shut down.

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As a long-time gamer, I’ve grown used to memory leaks. Apart from Overwatch 2, many titles battle with the same problem, but modern RAM standards allow us to overlook this major drawback. In most games, even if a game suffers from a memory leak, it would be hard for you to notice, unless it crashes, and that’s what’s been happening in Overwatch 2.

What causes Memory Leak in Overwatch 2?

Kiriko in Overwatch 2.
Your RAM is a hostage to Overwatch 2. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The main reason behind memory leaks in Overwatch 2 is optimization issues. Overall, Linux users have been more affected by memory leak issues in the game since it’s generally an overlooked platform when it comes to gaming.

However, many Windows users also reported memory leak problems in Overwatch 2, and considering extreme cases result in crashes, you may need to find a permanent fix so you can enjoy the game without any interruptions.

How do you fix Overwatch 2’s memory leak?

Mercy in Overwatch 2.
Stop the leak. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The quickest fix for Overwatch 2’s memory leak problem is to restart the game every hour or two. Memory leak is a prolonged bug, and Overwatch 2 is likely to continue to increase the amount of RAM it uses every hour. If you restart the game before it reaches its RAM limits, you can avoid unexpected crashes in the long run.

While closing and relaunching the game sounds less than ideal, it’s the most reliable way to stay ahead of memory leak issues in Overwatch 2.

If you’re on Linux, you can try to increase your swap memory, which can delay crashes further. Once you combine that with the restart method, you can avoid memory leak crashes by stopping Overwatch 2 from using so much memory.

OW2’s system requirements recommend a minimum of 6GB RAM, but it should ideally be at least 16GB. The more RAM, the less you’ll need to worry about memory leaks.


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Author
Image of Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan Çakır
Staff Writer
Gökhan is a Staff Writer and Fortnite Lead at Dot Esports. Gökhan graduated as an industrial engineer in 2020 and has since been with Dot Esports. As a natural-born gamer, he honed his skills to a professional level in Dota 2. Upon giving up on the Aegis of Champions in 2019, Gökhan started his writing career, covering all things gaming, while his heart remains a lifetime defender of the Ancients.