How to fix friends not showing up error in Overwatch 2

Many players were extremely eager for Overwatch 2, but the game's early days haven't been too kind to those wanting to play together.

Not only are players having several connection errors appearing with long queue times, but they are also being prevented from playing with their friends. The friends on their list won't even show up in some instances.

A lot of competitive multiplayer titles are best played with a group of friends who will communicate and make callouts. Thankfully, the issue in Overwatch 2 can be fixed as easily as restarting the game.

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What is making friends not appear in Overwatch 2?

The start of Overwatch 2 has brought a ton of problems. There have been alleged DDoS attacks, server overloads from too many players wanting to join in on the fun, and simple bugs that are all too common with new games.

When it comes to friends not appearing, it has been deemed a bug formed by the server issues currently happening in OW2. For this reason, many are receiving messages saying a player isn't found or that they're playing a different version of the game.

The servers are jampacked with people wanting to experience the sequel to one of the most popular titles in recent history. Until the servers are stable and can handle the sheer amount of players, users will have to rely on quick fixes to solve the issue of friends not showing. However, these solutions aren't always guaranteed to work.

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How to fix the issue of friends not appearing

There are a few things that can be done in order to make friends appear in the Friends list once more. Whether the Friends list isn't allowing an invite to be sent or it is just not working, players can try the following fixes:

• Reach out to the friend and see if their version of the game is working properly, as they may be able to send an invite.
• The chat feature can be used to manually invite a friend by typing "/invite" and the friend's username.
• Update the game if the "Player is in a different version of Overwatch" message appears.
• Restarting Overwatch 2 has seen many players' Friends list begin to work again.

The final option is one that has seen the most success, but it comes with the risk of players not being able to even get into the game. They may end up sitting in a queue or moving from the third person in line to the 10,000th. Those who may have to update their game also face this risk.

A common problem persisting in Overwatch 2 is one that says the friend is in a different version. This doesn't mean they're on a different platform or device but rather a different patch. The player or their friend would then need to update their copy, depending on who's behind.

Unfortunately, players may have to wait for the developers to patch the problem as they get their servers up and running as best as possible. This is definitely something on their radar.