A lot of players are dealing with the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error. If you are one of them, check out the solutions below.
The popular multiplayer hero-shooter Overwatch 2 from Activision-Blizzard has received its Season 2 update. But it appears that things aren’t exactly going well in the early days of the season.
It’s important to note that the game has encountered problems, which we have documented since its launch. For example, players have reported being unable to join friends or groups or having their OWL tokens and skins disappear, among other things.
Currently, Overwatch 2 gamers are getting banned because they are stuck on the “applying update” message, according to numerous reports. Others, meanwhile, are complaining about the new Hanzo’s extreme bow flick or recoil. Let’s find out how to fix the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error.
Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error is giving players a headache
Many Overwatch 2 players have recently experienced forced updates even during games, which causes the game to become stuck on the “applying update” screen.
Players attempt to restart the game to fix the issue because it is stuck. However, the Overwatch 2 system interprets the reset as a match abandonment, leading to a ban or brief suspension.
“Try to join game, says “applying update”. Nothing happens, and then I get a 15 minute suspension. This has happened twice now lol I guess I’m just wrecking my sr by even trying to play. Anyone else having this problem? God this games servers are an insane mess,” said DeepRethoric, a Redditor.
“Wth I just got a suspension from comp after trying to join a match and it was stuck on the applying updates screen. I tried relaunching it to fix it but apparently, I was in a game. Does anyone know how to fix this? I don’t want to try again cause I might get a longer suspension,” said incurrsion, another Redditor.
Numerous people have stated that the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck is preventing them to play the game. This problem seems to be most frequently caused by the Overwatch launcher showing an erroneous download speed. The wrong values may be presented as a result of a bad cache, which can cause this.
Security software can interfere with the Overwatch patch download by blocking important application functionality, which is another frequent cause. This is a typical error for a lot of games and programs that need an active internet connection.
According to certain users, the firewall was preventing the Blizzard client application from accessing the network.
The fact that the latest patches can’t download through your internet connection could potentially point to a problem with the internet connection itself.
How to fix the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error?
Here are some quick fixes you can try to fix this Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error:
- Restart Battle.net
- Check Windows firewall
- Disable your antivirus software
- Check your internet connection
- Flush DNS and reset Winsock
- Repair Overwatch
- Reinstall Overwatch
Restart Battle.net
If you’ve ever played a Blizzard game, you must have noticed Battle.net installed on your PC. All Blizzard games must be managed and updated through the Battle.net client.
If the Battle.net client application mistakenly displays the download speed, the update may have failed due to a cache freeze-up. Restarting the client application should help you regain the majority of the features in these circumstances.
Check Windows firewall
What enters your computer’s network through the firewall is under its control. The program won’t effectively transfer data over the network connection if some option or app is blocked by the firewall.
Verify that the firewall allows both the Overwatch video game and the Battle.net service. Check out this post on permitting an app or setting through a firewall if you’re unsure how to achieve that. This way you might be able to fix the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error.
Disable your antivirus software
On occasion, antivirus software may wind up preventing data transfer over networks for security reasons. If you have reason to believe that this is the situation, you can try to fix it by temporarily disabling your antivirus protection.
The majority of antivirus programs, both free and paid, have this feature. You can reactivate the shields to reinstate the security features once the update begins and completes downloading.
Check your internet connection
If none of the aforementioned solutions worked out and the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck is still there, it might be due to a problem with your internet connection. You must examine and fix this problem by checking your computer’s internet connection.
Initially, restart the modem. After turning off the modem, disconnect all of the cords, give it some time, then re-establish the connection.
Check the bandwidth you are receiving next. Use the app to check your network’s upload and download speeds if you have a third-party network monitor. Alternately, you can utilize a variety of online network speed tools. Contact your service provider for a repair if the bandwidth is less than the amount allotted under your current plan.
Flush DNS and reset Winsock
Any network can experience network throttling due to built-up cache data. The network’s DNS cache can be readily cleared to fix this. Open an elevated command prompt by selecting it from the Start menu, then type each of the following commands one at a time:
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /flushdns
- ipconfig /renew
- nbtstat -r
- netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
- netsh winsock reset
After doing this, restart your computer, and the problem that was preventing the Overwatch update from downloading should now be fixed.
Repair Overwatch
If you are still dealing with the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error, there may be a problem with the game’s files. The majority of the time, Overwatch won’t update if you do conflicting activities like removing one game while installing another, according to Blizzard Customer Support representatives.
You will need to rebuild the corrupt files and repair Overwatch in order to fix this. Here are some easy methods you may take to accomplish this:
- Open the Task Manager. You can also use “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” shortcut to accomplish this task.
- End all the tasks that are connected to the Blizzard app family within the Processes tab.
- The Battle.net desktop client, the Agent process, and any active game processes are included.
- Enter the following in a Run dialog box: C:\ProgramData
- Here, remove the Battle.net folder from your computer.
- On your computer, launch the Battle.net software.
Now you can pick Scan and Repair from the context menu that appears.
Reinstall Overwatch
You might need to reinstall the game if none of the suggested fixes for the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error worked out for you. Due to the fact that the corrupt and missing files will be downloaded again, this should assist you in fixing all issues.
You can use the Control panel to uninstall the game or third-party batch uninstallers to delete the game’s leftover files.
Then, install Overwatch by downloading it once more from the Blizzard website. The Overwatch 2 applying update stuck will be resolved as the most recent version will be downloaded automatically.
Overwatch devs are aware of the problem and they will take action to make sure it doesn’t occur again in next releases. However, this upgrade is still causing new bans to appear.
Also given the unexpected issues with today’s update, as we roll out future hotfixes, we plan to take precautions to avoid any potential unintentional penalties for players.
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) December 13, 2022
“Also given the unexpected issues with today’s update, as we roll out future hotfixes, we plan to take precautions to avoid any potential unintentional penalties for players.”
-Overwatch
A hidden nerf to Hanzo?!
Other Overwatch 2 users have reported that the developers abruptly opted to nerf Hanzo in the Season 2 update. After the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck, this is not good news for the devs.
Hanzo is a character who fights with a bow and arrows. He does, however, now recoil or flick noticeably after each arrow shot.
“What’s up with Hanzo’s weird bow recoil since patch? Is this a bug or a feature? Because neither would surprise me at this point. Either way, this is not helpful and I clearly need all the help I can get!” a Redditor called TheKephas said.
“Has anyone noticed the animation bug to Hanzo? Usually happens during stormarrow. The Bow covers your reticle after the shot. It makes the bow feel like it has recoil. Anyone else experience this?” another Redittor, Rich_Acanthisitta661, added.
Players are currently unable to aim their shots due to recoil. Even after each shot, the reticle is covered by the new animation.
This could be a balancing adjustment since the devs might think the character is too strong. However, because the new impact resembles the recoil of a rifle, many players believe it to be excessive.
Conclusion
We hope you were able to fix the Overwatch 2 applying update stuck error using our methods. If you are an Apple user, you can also learn how to play OW2 on Mac by visiting our guide!
