Are you trying to log in to your account but instead, an ‘Account Missing Overwatch License’ error appears on your screen?
Unless you have been making use of the Overwatch free trial run, you have to have a valid Overwatch license to be able to purchase and download the game onto your device.
So, why is the missing Overwatch license issue after purchase occurring?
You may be logged in to the incorrect Blizzard account, that does not have a verified Overwatch account, or, there has been as billing issue with your profile causing a revoke of your subscription.
Checking your credentials and buying Overwatch after your free trial has expired are just two of the simple solutions to fix this problem.
After reading this guide, you will know why the ‘account missing Overwatch license’ error is occurring, and what steps you can take to rectify this issue.
What Does Account Missing Overwatch License Mean?
What is the account missing overwatch license?
If you are experiencing the error, ‘Account Missing Overwatch Licence’ on your screen when you are trying to play the game, this will mean the Overwatch server has been unable to find an active license that is associated with the account you are using to launch Overwatch.
You need an active Overwatch license when you first install the game onto your device, so there are only a few reasons why this error is occurring when you are trying to play.
Reason 1. Incorrect Battle.Net Account
You may be logged in to the incorrect Battle.Net account by using different credentials.
If this account does not have an active Overwatch license, and you try and log in to your game, the ‘Account missing overwatch license’ error will occur.
Sharing a computer with another player can sometimes be the cause of this problem if they do not have a valid license.
Reason 2. Overwatch Free Trial has Expired
If you were testing out the Overwatch game with the free trial, when this expires, you will not have any access to the game unless you purchase it from your account.
Reason 3. Overwatch License has Been Stopped
Battle.Net may have stopped your license if there have been account problems, such as a billing issue.
If your account has incorrect information, your license can get revoked until you confirm all necessary details are correct.
Reason 4. Faulty Overwatch Cache Files
The cache files that automatically get downloaded onto your device every time you launch Overwatch may have become too full, or contain corrupted data.
If these files are faulty, it can interfere with your game reaching the Overwatch server, hence why the account missing Overwatch license will appear.
How to Fix Account Missing Overwatch License
How to fix account missing Overwatch license
You can fix the ‘Account Missing Overwatch License’ that appear on your screen by first making sure you have a valid, active license that the Overwatch server will be able to find when you launch the game. Enabling an Overwatch license is mandatory when you want to purchase the game.
If you did take out a license before you bought the game, you should be able to fix this error by following one of these simple solutions;
Fix 1. Verify Overwatch License
You need to make sure your Overwatch license is verified and in working order.
If you have a Blizzard or Battle.Net account, you need to log into your profile and check the status of your license under the ‘Account Management’ section.
Fix 2. Confirm account is correct
Make sure you have logged in to the correct account with the active Overwatch license.
If you are sharing a computer with a different player, you may have used automatically save login credentials without noticing.
If you updated to a new account, check that you have not used old details.
Fix 3. Subscribe to Overwatch
A free trial run for Overwatch is not indefinite and will expire over a certain period. If your account is missing an Overwatch license, you will need to subscribe to gain access to the game and be able to carry on playing.
Fix 4. Check Overwatch billing details
Your Overwatch license will be revoked if there are billing issues with your account.
You will need to log into your profile and check that all your information and details are correct and amend anything that may be incorrect.
Fix 5. Clear Overwatch Cache Files
If you have confirmed your Overwatch license is verified and active, yet you are still seeing the account missing overwatch license appear on your screen when you log in, you may have faulty cache files.
Deleting the cache folder will not erase any of your game data.
(Did you know; Overwatch includes secret references to other Blizzard games such as Warcraft and Starcraft which is only noticeable if players are accustomed to the games and the character’s traits. For example, A Murlock from World of Warcraft is in Overwatch, which will make an intricate Murlock sound when it gets shot. Another one is Orisa’s immortal skin which is referenced to some robots in Starcraft).
How to Clear Overwatch Cache on Windows:
First, make sure Blizzard is not running in the background of your Windows PC.
Step 1. Press the ‘Windows’ and ‘R’ buttons simultaneously
Step 2. In the box that appears, type in ‘%ProgramData%‘and click OK
Step 3. A Blizzard folder should appear, which you can delete
Once this has been removed, relaunch your game.
How to Clear Overwatch Cache on Mac:
Step 1. In the ‘Finder’ open the Go Menu and click on ‘Computer’
Step 2. Choose ‘Macintosh HD’
Step 3. Access the ‘/Users/Shared/Blizzard‘
Step 4. Put the Blizzard folder to the trash
Restart your computer and launch the game again.
Missing Overwatch License After Purchase
Missing Overwatch license after purchase
If you have only just purchased an Overwatch license and it is stating you currently do not have one activity to your account, this is could be due to the Overwatch server needing a moment to refresh to update its information from Blizzard to include your verified license.
If you have refreshed your device, log in to the Battle.Net app and it is still not picking up your newly bought Overwatch license, this could be due to;
1. Blizzard Server is Down
If the Blizzard server is down, you will incur issues when it comes to using your account and making changes.
You can check the service status of Blizzard here to make sure if this is the cause for your account to have a missing Overwatch license after purchase.
If the server is down you will need to be patient until the problem gets rectified from Blizzard.
2. Outdated Battle.Net App
If you have a pending update for your Battle.Net app, you should complete this upgrade as staying on an outdated version can create problems when you are using the software.
Sometimes, the server will have issues reading your request if there is already a newer version of the app as your data can become incompatible.
Check that your app is updated to the latest version.
3. Pending Activation Code
There is the option to install Overwatch via a physical copy of the game. This requires an activation code. If you have not redeemed this code, you will experience the missing Overwatch license after purchase.
Make sure you redeem this code to activate your license.
How to Get an Overwatch License
Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash
You can buy an Overwatch license from the online Battle.Net shop. Once you have registered yourself with a Blizzard account and purchased the Overwatch game, the license will always be linked to your account.
What this means, is that if you purchase a new computer, you don’t have to pay again for Overwatch to be installed onto your new PC, all you will need to do is reinstall the Battle.Net app and log back into your account.
Related Posts:
- How To Fix WoW Error 132 – Fatal Exception
- Runescape Won’t Launch On Your PC: Here’s How To Run The Game
What are the Overwatch System Requirements?
If this is the first time you’re installing Overwatch, you first need to make sure you meet the system requirements for this game to be played on your device, whether it’s a PC, PS4 or Xbox.
The minimum system requirements are;
- Hard drive space of 30GB
- Stable internet connection
- Resolution display of 1024 x 768
If your device meets these requirements, you should not have any issues when you download the game.
Conclusion
After going through this in-depth guide, we hope you now understand what the account missing Overwatch license is and why you were experiencing this error when trying to log into your Overwatch account.
With the five simple fixes provided, your Overwatch account should now be accessible, and you can proceed with fighting in 6v6 combat.
However, if you are still having issues with your Blizzard account, we recommend that you make use of the Blizzard Support Page. If you cannot find the answer to your query, you can submit a detailed explanation to their support team, where one of their members will pick it up, and get back to you.
(Quiz Time; Overwatch makes references to other Blizzard games through their characters. Name two of these games. Fill out our online form with your answer, and your name included).
