Overwatch 2 "in queue: 0 players ahead" error explained

Wrecking Ball - Overwatch 2 in queue: 0 players ahead error
Credit: Blizzard

Wrecking Ball - Overwatch 2 in queue: 0 players ahead error
Credit: Blizzard

The Overwatch 2 "in queue: 0 players ahead" error is merely the latest in an increasingly long line of issues that have plagued the launch of the game. From the much-publicised issues with Overwatch 2 authentication to Overwatch 2 crashing, and even the DDoS attacks they've had, it's been an inauspicious start for the game.

As frustrating as all this is, this particular error is at the shallow end of the pool. In other words, it is far less of a game-breaker than many of the other issues Overwatch 2 has been plagued by. Here's what you need to know about it.

How to fix the Overwatch 2 "in queue: 0 players ahead" error

We'll start with the bad news. If you encounter this error, there isn't actually a whole lot you can do about it, other than wait it out.

The good news is that while it looks as though everything has gone wrong, it really isn't as bad as it seems. In the vast majority of cases, if you can hold your nerve, and keep waiting, it appears that eventually you will be granted access.

If you exit the queue, restart the game and start again, the chances are you'll actually end up waiting a lot longer than if you'd just waited.

So what exactly is going on? Here's what we know.

What is the Overwatch 2 "in queue: 0 players ahead" error?

You'll know you've got this error when you see the "In queue: 0 players ahead" message appears on your loading screen, without then being granted access to the game itself.

But rather than this being a major underlying issue that is breaking the game, it appears that this is simply a visual glitch, which is giving you incorrect information. So while it says you are at the front of the line, the reality is that you are, in fact, further back.

As we said earlier, in the vast majority of cases it appears that simply waiting it out will eventually resolve this error. But it remains a little unclear as to why it is even happening in the first place.

The most plausible explanation at this stage seems to simply come down to the vast number of people who are trying to access the game, putting pressure on the servers and causing the queue counts to display duff information.

As Overwatch 2 errors go, this one is relatively benign. And while it is undoubtedly a little irritating, it's preferable to getting any of the other issues that have cropped up so far.

Hopefully, as traffic stabilises and the servers are better able to cope with demand, this issue may just quietly disappear. Until then, waiting it out seems to be your best option.

Now that everything is sorted, have a look at how to fix the Overwatch 2 error 6-04 and the authentication not working error, in case you encounter them in the future.

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