Current Events > New Call of Duty will also require a phone number

(+) Yeah! (+)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 comes out later this month, but there's a surprise that many potential players didn't see coming. According to a page on Battle.net, Modern Warfare 2 players will be required to provide a phone number connected to a valid data plan. Additionally, VOIP and prepaid numbers won't work.

This decision is apparently part of a company-wide initiative at Activision Blizzard to fight toxic behavior in its multiplayer games. We saw the policy in action last week at Overwatch 2's launch, which led to controversy. In theory, this requirement will prevent abusive players (such as smurfs and boosters) from making new accounts, which means they'll be held accountable for their actions.