How to fix ‘game server connection failed’ or ‘unexpected server error’ in Overwatch 2

Thanks to the recent release of Overwatch 2, thousands of players around the world are jumping in to check out new heroes, new maps, new modes, and more. Game launches for major franchises like Overwatch almost always result in huge numbers of players entering the game in a short period of time, which can then result in problems for servers. Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t go away after launch. During special events, those queues can build up again.

The launch of the Overwatch 2 Halloween Terror update has led to some more connection and server issues.

If you’ve been getting an “unexpected server error” when you try to log into Overwatch 2, you’re not alone. It can be frustrating to deal with errors after a game launches when all you want to do is play, but with a little bit of patience, you’ll soon be able to join everyone else in the queue.

Here’s everything you need to know about Overwatch 2’s “unexpected server error.”

How to fix the “unexpected server error” in Overwatch 2 PvP

“Unexpected server errors” first started appearing during Overwatch 2‘s betas. When lots of people logged on at once following the beginning of the betas’ Twitch drops, many users received the error in response to login attempts or during matches. Like these beta errors, the “unexpected server error” message in Overwatch 2 proper likely means that there are just too many people trying to play at once, which can be difficult for the game’s servers to handle.

For players trying to queue during Halloween Terror, they can expect some more unexpected server issues during the corresponding live maintenance period.

If you receive this error, the problem most likely isn’t on your end. The best thing to do is re-launch your game and try queueing once again. The usual tricks for connection problems—exiting the game, restarting your internet, and changing firewall settings—can’t reduce the server overload, so you’ll just have to give it some time and be patient. Once the player count drops off a little and Blizzard adds extra capacity, you should receive server errors much less frequently.