The world could always use more heroes, but it seems Blizzard Entertainment needs more PC gaming platforms. After many years of exclusivity to its own launcher, Battle.net, the company is finally caving and bringing its games to Steam, starting with Overwatch 2.
The hero shooter will hit Valve’s digital storefront on 10 August, coinciding with the upcoming content update, Invasion, which includes PvE story missions, a new PvP game mode, two new maps, and a new hero. A Battle.net account is still needed to play the game via Steam, with a store page for the game already live.
“It’s our goal at Blizzard to listen to players and try to exceed their expectations in everything we do,” said Blizzard president Mike Ybarra. “While Battle.net remains a priority for us now and into the future, we’ve heard players want the choice of Steam for a selection of our games, starting with Overwatch 2 on August 10th. We’re happy to work with Valve to make that happen.”
This announcement comes on the same day of Activision Blizzard’s earnings report, during which the company admitted that player investment and engagement in Overwatch 2 has “declined sequentially” over the quarter. It’s likely the team is looking to breathe new life into the game and extend its playerbase reach with the move to Steam, especially after the cancellation of the PvE Hero Mode drew criticism and anger from disgruntled fans.
Alongside the shooter, “a selection” of titles from Blizzard will also be making the jump to Steam, but no specifics were given. In a blog post, the company said it’s not moving away from Battle.net, explaining, “as we’ve evolved, the industry has evolved too–gaming is no longer just for specific communities as it was when Battle.net launched over two decades ago, gaming is for everyone–and though we remain committed to continually investing in and supporting Battle.net, we want to break down the barriers to make it easier for players everywhere to find and enjoy our games.”
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
