How to fix Overwatch 2 different version error

Andrew Highton
tracer, reinhardt, and lei, in overwatch 2

A common Overwatch 2 problem has seen players unable to join friends due to them having a ‘different version’ of the game, thankfully, we have a solution if this happens to you.

The obscene levels of hype that Overwatch 2 had before release wasn’t met by the friendliest of launches as pre-paid phone issues, DDoS attacks, and brutal server queues got the game off to a rocky start.

Not only that, but another issue that has been plaguing users that are simply trying to join their buddies for a few games of Blizzard’s hero shooter is a rather strange bug preventing players from properly teaming up together.

Even though it’s proved to be quite troublesome, there is a quick and easy method to circumvent this.

overwatch 2 team moving forward

Overwatch 2 “different version of Overwatch” error fix

If you find that you’re unable to join friends as a result of this error message, then Blizzard have suggested an idea: “Using “/invite” in chat and typing in their battletag is a possible workaround.”

However, it should be clear that the devs do not outright believe this is a permanent fix that will work for every player, but it does appear to have had some success.

Blizzard are working on a ton of issues and bugs in Overwatch 2 at present, so we’ll update this guide if a concrete solution does become available.

What is the “Player is in a different version of Overwatch” bug?

The actual error message itself occurs when you’re on the home page trying to invite a friend(s) to your party and pops up because it believes the other player is supposedly on a different version of Overwatch 2 – even though that isn’t the case.

It’s obviously a glitch in the system and Blizzard themselves think it’s just a simple UI communication problem with the above workaround a good way of amending the fault.


With you now presumably able to reconnect with your friends, we have some more Overwatch 2 guides and content that we think might be useful:

Are Overwatch 2 servers down? Overwatch server status | Best Overwatch 2 PC settings: How to boost FPS & optimize graphics | Does Overwatch 2 have cross-progression crossplay? Is Overwatch 2 crossplay? | How to transfer Overwatch skins to Overwatch 2: Account merging guide | Is Overwatch 2 free-to-play? | How to play Overwatch 2 on Steam Deck

Image Credit: Blizzard

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