The launch of Blizzard‘s highly anticipated hero shooter sequel Overwatch 2 has been marred by a variety of technical issues, from server capacity problems to missing in-game items. But one of the most frustrating bugs players have encountered is the "DPC watchdog violation" error that completely crashes the game without warning.
In this in-depth guide, we‘ll break down exactly what these DPC crashes are, why they‘re happening with Overwatch 2, and most importantly, what you can do to fix them. We‘ll also take a broader look at how this issue fits into the game‘s overall launch woes and what it means for Overwatch 2‘s future prospects.
Understanding DPC Watchdog Violation Errors
First, let‘s define our key term: what exactly is a DPC watchdog violation? DPC stands for "deferred procedure call," a Microsoft Windows feature that handles processing for hardware driver interrupts. The DPC watchdog monitors the responsiveness of drivers and detects if any are taking too long to execute, which could potentially lead to system instability.
If a driver times out and fails to complete its deferred procedure call within the allotted time frame, the DPC watchdog will initiate a system crash and display the "DPC watchdog violation" blue screen error (also known as a stop code 0x133). By forcing this crash, Windows is aiming to prevent any data loss or damage that could occur from an unresponsive driver.
DPC watchdog violations can be triggered by a wide range of hardware and software issues, including:
- Outdated, corrupted or incompatible drivers
- Hardware malfunctions or overheating
- Malware or viruses
- Software conflicts and bugs
They‘re a relatively common type of Windows crash, with Microsoft reporting that DPC watchdog violations accounted for approximately 0.15% of all Windows 10 crashes in 2021. That may sound like a small percentage, but with over 1.3 billion Windows 10 devices in use, it still translates to millions of impacted users.
Overwatch 2‘s DPC Crash Epidemic
Since Overwatch 2‘s October 4, 2022 release, a significant portion of players attempting to enjoy the free-to-play game have instead been greeted by the dreaded blue screen of death. Across social media, Reddit, and Blizzard‘s own forums, reports have poured in of DPC watchdog violations causing hard crashes, often multiple times per gaming session.
The exact percentage of Overwatch 2 players impacted is hard to pin down, but a look at public discussions gives a sense of the scale. A poll on the Overwatch subreddit, a community of 4 million members, found that nearly 30% of respondents had experienced a DPC crash. Several threads on the topic have received thousands of upvotes and hundreds of comments from affected players.
The most commonly cited culprit is a conflict between Overwatch 2 and the NVIDIA Broadcast software suite, which provides virtual background and audio filtering effects for streamers and content creators. Running NVIDIA Broadcast while playing Overwatch 2 seems to reliably produce DPC crashes for a significant number of users.
However, NVIDIA Broadcast is far from the only apparent trigger. Other players have reported Overwatch 2 DPC crashes caused by everything from Discord and OBS to out-of-date Windows audio drivers and even just plugging in a USB headset. The range of potential causes has made it challenging for players to pin down a single consistent solution.
Fixing DPC Watchdog Violations in Overwatch 2
If you‘re among the many players suffering from Overwatch 2 DPC crashes, don‘t despair. While there‘s no one-size-fits-all answer, there are a number of troubleshooting steps that have helped resolve the problem for many:
Uninstall NVIDIA Broadcast: If you have this software installed, fully removing it from your PC has been the single most effective fix reported by players. Once uninstalled, restart your computer before launching Overwatch 2 again.
Update your graphics card drivers: Outdated or mismatched GPU drivers are a frequent cause of DPC violations. Go to your graphics card manufacturer‘s website (NVIDIA or AMD) and download the latest driver package for your exact GPU model. Use the "clean install" option to fully replace any previous driver versions.
Check for Windows updates: Microsoft regularly releases patches to improve system stability and fix known issues. Open the Windows Update settings and install any pending updates, then restart your PC.
Close background apps: Many players have found that closing other apps running in the background, particularly overlays like Discord and streaming tools like OBS, reduces the chances of a DPC crash. Try launching Overwatch 2 with as few other programs open as possible.
Disable Windows Game Mode: This built-in Windows setting can sometimes cause more problems than it solves. Open the Windows Settings app, go to Gaming > Game Mode, and make sure the feature is toggled off.
Scan for malware: Run a full scan with Windows Defender or your preferred antivirus software to check for any malicious programs that could be interfering with Overwatch 2‘s operation.
If none of the above steps resolve the problem, you can try some more advanced troubleshooting like resetting the Windows page file, checking your RAM for errors, or updating drivers for other devices like your sound card and network adapter. Detailed guides on these processes can be found on tech support sites like How-To Geek and Windows Central.
As a last resort, some players have found that a full reinstall of Overwatch 2 can clear up whatever underlying issue was causing their DPC crashes. It may be a time-consuming solution, but it has worked in many stubborn cases.
Assessing Blizzard‘s Response & Overwatch 2‘s Outlook
The widespread nature of the DPC watchdog violation errors, along with other major bugs like locked heroes and missing cosmetics, has led to significant player frustration with Overwatch 2‘s launch state. Blizzard faced heavy criticism for what many saw as a lack of adequate testing and optimization before release.
To their credit, the Overwatch 2 team has been communicating frequently about known issues and working to address them through patches. A blog post on October 13 detailed their progress in fixing several bugs and outlined plans for further improvements.
Additionally, a late October patch included "stability improvements to reduce crash frequency," although it didn‘t mention the DPC error specifically. These incremental fixes have helped, but the overall volume of complaints suggests there‘s still significant work to be done.
It‘s worth noting that messy launches are nothing new for online multiplayer games. From Diablo III‘s infamous "Error 37" to Apex Legends‘ surprise launch nearly crashing EA‘s servers, many of the most popular titles have faced major technical hurdles in their early days.
The key factor is how quickly and effectively developers can respond to problems and improve the experience over time. Games like Final Fantasy XIV and No Man‘s Sky famously managed to turn disastrous launches into major comeback stories through consistent updates and player communication.
Early player numbers suggest that there‘s still strong interest in Overwatch 2 despite the technical woes. Blizzard announced that the game reached 25 million total players within its first 10 days, a significant milestone even considering the switch to a free-to-play model.
However, that initial surge doesn‘t guarantee long-term success. To keep players engaged and spending, Blizzard will need to not only fix launch bugs like the DPC crashes but also consistently deliver on their ambitious roadmap of new heroes, maps, and modes.
With heavy competition in the hero shooter space from games like Apex Legends and Valorant, Overwatch 2 can‘t afford to keep stuttering in the technical department. The coming weeks and months will be a critical period for Blizzard to prove they can steer the game to smoother waters.
Final Thoughts
Overwatch 2‘s launch has undoubtedly been a rocky one, and the DPC watchdog violation errors are a perfect encapsulation of the technical struggles players have faced. But with some focused troubleshooting, most impacted users have been able to resolve their crashes and get back to enjoying the game.
Blizzard certainly has their work cut out for them in ironing out these stability problems and delivering on the game‘s long-term content promises. But if they can right the ship quickly, there‘s still ample reason to believe Overwatch 2 can overcome its early stumbles and secure a bright future.
After all, if there‘s one thing Blizzard is known for, it‘s polish. With enough time and effort, they have the opportunity to rebuild player goodwill and establish Overwatch 2 as a worthy successor to the game that defined a genre.
In the meantime, the Overwatch community has shown its resilience in the face of adversity. From helping each other troubleshoot technical issues to organizing unofficial tournaments and events, players have kept the spirit of the game alive even through the roughest patches.
As the old Overwatch adage goes, "The world could always use more heroes." With a passionate fan base, a groundbreaking history, and hopefully, a more stable foundation on the horizon, Overwatch 2 still has the potential to rise to that challenge. Players just might need to be the heroes of their own PC setups first.
