How to fix the ‘player already changing groups’ error in Overwatch 2

Either they have another group of friends, or this bug is preventing you from joining a party together.

Kiriko, Brigitte, Tracer, and D.Va dance a routine.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Having trouble teaming up with your friends in Overwatch 2?  The “player already changing groups” error message can be frustrating, and makes it impossible for friends to join a party together.

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Overwatch 2 is more fun with friends, and I love the game even more when I roll out in ranked matches when I’m paired with a group of like-minded individuals. However, an error like “player already changing groups” can suddenly prevent everyone from grouping in a squad, and queueing up for a match without fixing this may not be an option for some.

How do you fix the ‘player already changing groups’ error in Overwatch 2?

Genji in Overwatch 2
There’s a good work-around for this one. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

The best fix for the “player already changing groups” error is accepting direct game invites from your friends on your gaming platform. Here’s a step-by-step on how to do that:

  • Close Overwatch 2 completely.
  • Ask your friends to send you a game invite which you should receive via Battle.net, Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch.
  • Accept the group invite directly without launching the game first and bypass the potential glitch in the standard grouping process.

While waiting for this invite, you can also check Overwatch 2’s server status. If there’s a server outage, your friends may start losing connection and you may need to wait for the servers to come back online before you can start playing together again.

Alternatively, you can also try reinstalling the game as your final resort. However, I’d wait a few hours before choosing the reinstall path, just in case the error fixes itself.

What causes the ‘player already changing groups’ error in Overwatch 2?

The “player already changing groups” error in Overwatch 2 occurs more frequently after major updates. It looks to be tied to the game’s server status which fluctuates during new content releases—like the new Mirrorwatch event that just went live on April 23.

Author
Image of Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan Çakır
Gökhan is a Staff Writer and Fortnite Lead at Dot Esports. Gökhan graduated as an industrial engineer in 2020 and has since been with Dot Esports. As a natural-born gamer, he honed his skills to a professional level in Dota 2. Upon giving up on the Aegis of Champions in 2019, Gökhan started his writing career, covering all things gaming, while his heart remains a lifetime defender of the Ancients.