Blizzard Titles Heading to Steam, Starting With Overwatch 2

After persistently sticking to its own PC launcher, Battle.net, Blizzard is finally giving in and making a move to release a few of its games on Valve’s well-known storefront, Steam. The first game to be released on Steam is Overwatch 2.

Blizzard will release Overwatch 2 on Steam on August 10, and the game’s store page is already available. The launch will coincide with the Invasion content update, featuring PvE story missions, a new PvP game mode, two additional maps, and a new hero. Players must still link a Battle.net account to access Overwatch 2 on Steam.

Blizzard posted a blog today, explaining that their decision to release certain games on Steam is motivated by a desire to “break down the barriers” between gaming communities.

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.
Blizzard president Mike Ybarra

“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.”

Blizzard softening their stance on the Steam as a platform

Significantly, on the same day as Activision-Blizzard’s earnings report, the company acknowledged that Overwatch 2’s engagement and player investment has “declined sequentially” over the quarter.

It is conceivable that the decision to move to Steam is partly aimed at revitalizing the diminishing player base. The game’s reception has been somewhat mixed since its release, with players particularly disappointed about the cancellation of the game’s PvE Hero Mode, which was a key differentiating factor from the original Overwatch.

Blizzard has not disclosed which other games will be coming to the Steam launcher in the future, but they have stated that more are in the works. Recently, Activision also made a similar move by bringing Call of Duty back to Steam after a five-year absence from the platform – a decision the company referred to as a “failure” during the recent FTC v. Microsoft trial.