Widespread Battlenet DDoS attacks target Blizzard Entertainment

Battlenet DDoS attack strikes again, and unfortunately, this means major disruptions for gamers trying to enjoy Blizzard Entertainment’s iconic titles. If you’re struggling to connect to World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, or any other game hosted on the Battle.net platform, you’re not alone.

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is currently underway, deliberately overloading Blizzard’s servers with a massive surge of internet traffic. This targeted assault is designed to make it difficult or impossible for legitimate players to enjoy their online gaming experience any many of the users on X are asking ”is there an ongoing Battlenet DDoS attack”.

Let’s delve into the specifics of this ongoing Battlenet DDoS attack and which games or services of Blizzard Entertainment’s titles are being affected by it.

Battlenet DDoS attack halts gamers from accessing their favorite games on Blizzard’s popular platform (Image credit) Is there an ongoing Battlenet DDoS attack?

Right now, although not officially confirmed, attackers are flooding Blizzard’s servers with a massive amount of internet traffic. This overload makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for legitimate players to connect or maintain a stable connection to Battle.net.

Here’s what you might be experiencing due to the ongoing Battlenet DDoS attack:

• Severe difficulty logging into Battle.net
• Crippling lag or latency while playing
• Frequent and frustrating disconnections
• Inability to access online game features or play online at all

Overwatch 2 DDoS attack and Warcraft DDoS attacks confirmed

Blizzard CS – The Americas has confirmed issues on X, specifically acknowledging DDoS attacks targeting Overwatch 2 and World of Warcraft.

[#Overwatch2 #Warcraft] We are currently experiencing a DDoS attack, which may result in high latency and disconnections for some players. We are actively working to mitigate this issue.

— Blizzard CS – The Americas (@BlizzardCS) February 28, 2024

While a broader Battlenet DDoS attack hasn’t been explicitly announced, players may experience disruptions across other titles as well. This could include difficulty logging in, high latency, or unexpected disconnections even on games not specifically mentioned.

Markhagg on Blizzard Forums has shared his experiences on the ongoing Battlenet DDoS attack with the following words:

”I can log into Battlenet, but the game servers are not loading still. I have totally reinstalled the game on one system and it is still the same. Location also does not seem to help. I can remote into my PC at home in Michigan and it is identical issue”.

–  Markhagg, Blizzard Forums

Porkchawp55 on X explained that the security of his account was compromised during the Battlenet DDoS attacks with the following post, making us all once again wonder if Blizzard’s servers are actually in big trouble or not:

@battlenet I received a text saying security features have been removed? Is this true and should I click or not click the link? Never seen this before..and before I do I want to make sure it's legit. Thank you for your time.

— Porkchawp55 (@porkchawp55) February 29, 2024

Which games are affected by Blizzard DDoS attack?

While Blizzard typically doesn’t release an exhaustive list of every single game affected, here’s what we can generally expect based on past attacks and common targets:

Heavily impacted games

• World of Warcraft: As Blizzard’s flagship MMO, it’s incredibly popular and a prime target
• Diablo (all titles, especially Diablo IV): The always-online nature of Diablo makes it particularly vulnerable to disruptions as we saw on the recent Diablo 4 DDoS attack
• Overwatch 2: Another popular online multiplayer game susceptible to attacks
• Call of Duty (various titles): Call of Duty games, especially those heavily reliant on online play like Warzone, are common targets

Potentially affected games

• Starcraft (all titles)
• Hearthstone
• Heroes of the Storm

Even if a game isn’t explicitly listed here, there’s still a chance it might experience some effects during a widespread Battlenet DDoS attack on Blizzard’s infrastructure.

Hearthstone, WoW, Call of Duty and many more seem to be affected by the Battlenet DDoS attacks (Image credit) What is a DDoS attack?

A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is like a cyber-traffic jam designed to cripple a website, server, or online service. Attackers use a network of infected computers, known as a botnet, to send a tidal wave of fake requests or data packets to the target. Imagine each infected computer as a car trying to cram onto a highway during rush hour. This overwhelms the server’s ability to handle the traffic, just like too many cars create gridlock on a highway.

As a result, legitimate users, like players trying to enjoy a game, have a terrible time. They might not be able to connect at all, as the server is too busy dealing with the fake traffic. Even if players manage to get online, their experience will likely be plagued by severe lag or random disconnections. The server simply can’t keep up with both the bogus requests from the attack and the needs of real players.

What players can do against Blizzard DDoS attack?

While there’s not much individual players can do to directly stop Battlenet DDoS attacks, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Patience is key: This is a frustrating situation, but it’s important to remain patient. Blizzard should be working on a solution
• Check official channels: Follow Blizzard’s official social media accounts or customer support forums for updates on the situation
  • Blizzard on X
  • Blizzard Support Forum

It’s never fun when gaming services are disrupted, especially with compounding factors like scheduled maintenance. Hopefully, the combination of Blizzard’s efforts and the eventual cessation of DDoS attacks will restore a smooth playing experience for fans of their games soon.

Featured image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.