Why are queue times so long in Overwatch 2?

Overwatch 2 has arrived, and many players have been looking forward to the highly-anticipated sequel to Blizzard's Overwatch. But those looking to jump into an online match may face longer than normal queue times. This may leave you wondering why Overwatch 2's queue times are so long.

Overwatch 2 queue times explained

With Overwatch 2's huge launch, players will, unfortunately, be facing long queue times due to the number of players trying to join. When loading into the game, you will see your place in line and how many players are ahead of you. Once you have joined the queue, do not exit Overwatch 2, as you may be placed further back in the queue.

Many players are running into longer than average queue times for a match, sometimes taking over five minutes to join a match. This is due to how Overwatch 2 handles queues, giving individual queues based on the roles you play. As such, tank and DPS players are having a longer time queueing up for matches, likely due to the number of players choosing DPS and the fact that only one tank player is allowed per team.

Related: Overwatch 2 Failed to connect to game server – Fixes

The original Overwatch and the Overwatch 2 beta faced similar issues, as queueing for DPS in the original required much more time than tank or support roles. This can be solved somewhat by using an open queue in Quick Play Classic and the upcoming Ranked mode, but if you are queuing up as tank or DPS, expect to wait longer.

If you aren't picky about your role, we recommend selecting support to get into the game quicker. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the long queue times to do something such as use the bathroom, grab a snack, or take a break to stretch and walk around.

For more information on Overwatch, check out How to fix ‘Unexpected server error’ in Overwatch 2 and Why did Overwatch 1 shut down? Explained on Pro Game Guides.