Overwatch 2: How to Fix 'Error Starting a Game' Bug

Overwatch 2 has been out for over a week now. While many players have spent the past several days leveling their Battle Pass and unlocking Kiriko, others have had to deal with long queue times and tons of server issues. Blizzard has attempted to make up for some of these issues by offering a free Legendary Reaper skin, but that doesn't change the fact that many are still suffering from a few annoying bugs that can keep them from being able to play the game at all.

Perhaps one of the most annoying bugs––outside of characters being locked for no reason––is the "Error starting a game" bug. This bug has been popping up quite a bit over the past several days, and it can appear for several reasons––none of which is difficult to fix. So, if you're one of the many suffering from this bug, here's what you can do to help ensure everything with your game is right so you can get back in and master all of Kiriko's abilities.

One of the main issues causing this bug is what developers call a version mismatch. Essentially, this means that your game isn't completely up to date, and, therefore, it is running an older version than the game servers that you're attempting to connect to.

If you don't already, it's recommending the leave on automatic updates for Overwatch 2 turned, and then make sure you give the game time to download and properly install any updates that release.

You can check the current update that you're running for Overwatch 2 by opening the store on Xbox or PlayStation. If you're on PC, head to the Battle.net client, select Overwatch 2 from the launcher, and then click on Settings, and choose "check for latest updates" to ensure you're running the most recent version.

Another possible cause of the "Error starting a game" bug is an out-of-date graphics driver. Gamers will want to make sure to upgrade to the latest graphics card drivers–– whether they're running Nvidia or AMD. This can be done easily through the graphics card desktop applications, and once updated, you'll probably see some increases in performance, too, as the latest drivers are optimized to provide better performance for newer games.

Another way to fix this issue is to ensure your game files aren't corrupted. Unfortunately, the only way to do this is a bit time-consuming. Head into the Battle.net launcher and then select the Scan and Repair option from the Settings underneath Overwatch 2. This will verify the game files and download any corrupted files that it finds. Again, this process might take some time, but ultimately, it's a good way to ensure nothing has become corrupted during updating.

Finally, if none of the solutions above give you respite from the "Error starting a game" bug, you can always try a full reinstall of the game. This is the most time-consuming option on the list, which is why it is included here as a last resort. Ultimately, repairing the game files should fix any issues that reinstalling would, but you can always give it a try if you still find yourself struggling to get into a match.