Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Overwatch 2 is launching on Steam in August, with ‘a selection’ of other Blizzard games to follow.
Blizzard Entertainment is officially bringing its games to Steam, with Overwatch 2 being the first to arrive on August 10. The games publisher announced the news earlier today via a blog post, following the release of its Q2 2023 financial results.
Currently, most of Blizzard’s games are only playable on PC via the Battle.net launcher - but that won’t be the case for long. A few of its older titles from the Diablo and the Warcraft series can be played through separate launchers like GOG.com, but players who want to try out Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 are stuck with Battle.net.
In an effort to try, “something new,” as Blizzard puts it, the company is bringing ‘a selection’ of its games to Steam starting with the first-person shooter. Blizzard explains that, “gaming is no longer just for specific communities as it was when Battle.net launched over two decades ago,” and that it wants to, “break down the barriers to make it easier for players everywhere to find and enjoy our games.” However, it will continue, “investing in and supporting Battle.net,” so that platform isn’t going anywhere.
There is a small caveat for Steam users, but it’s not unexpected: anyone who plays Overwatch 2 on Steam will need to connect their game to a Battle.net account. Steam will bring its own features to the table, with a friends list, achievements and the ability to invite others to play in-game. Blizzard calls the game, “the perfect title for Blizzard’s debut on the platform,” specifically calling out the upcoming story missions and PvE content coming in Overwatch 2: Invasion.
Blizzard says that it will share, “more about potential other games coming to the platform when the time is right.” One can reasonably expect Diablo 4 to come to Steam owing to its massive popularity, and Diablo Immortal to show up somewhere down the line too. Hearthstone could use the additional exposure Steam can provide, but World of Warcraft? That’ll be the day.
It’s easy to read between the lines here and understand why Overwatch 2 is really coming to Steam. If the recent uproar over the game’s cancelled Hero Missions wasn’t enough of an indicator that it was in trouble, Blizzard itself noted disappointment in the game’s performance in its Q2 2023 financial results today. The company said that, “engagement and player investment in Overwatch 2 declined sequentially,” in this financial quarter, though it hopes that Overwatch 2: Invasion will breathe new life into the sequel.
Overwatch 2: Invasion launches on August 10, the same day it arrives on Steam. The upcoming season of content includes new story content, a new game mode and a new hero.