[GameSpot] - Blizzard Is Bringing Its Games To Steam, Starting With Overwatch 2

[343iBot]

Overwatch 2, and a selection of other Blizzard games, are coming to Steam. The company has confirmed that it is currently working on making a number of its games available on the digital storefront in an effort to "break down barriers" and make its titles more readily available.

"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," Blizzard wrote in its press release. "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."

Overwatch 2 is the first game headed to Steam and will be available to play through the client starting August 10. While players won't need to download Battle.net to play Overwatch 2, they will still need a Battle.net account to sync to their profile, same as Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch users. Once a player creates a Battle.net account, they will we have access to Overwatch 2's cross-platform play and more. Players using Steam will have access to Steam achievements, their Steam friends list, and other Steam features while playing.

As of right now, Overwatch 2 is the only Blizzard title that has been formally announced for Steam. In the official press release shared by Blizzard, the company stated it will reveal additional titles coming to Steam "when the time is right." Considering Diablo IV's recent release, it seems likely that Blizzard could be eyeing the game as another hit title to bring over to Steam. Blizzard's long-running MMO, World of Warcraft, would also be a major addition to Steam's library.

Over the past decade, Activision Blizzard made a concentrated effort to keep its games off of Steam in an attempt to drive players toward its own digital storefront, Battle.net. In the past year, however, the company began to show more interest in bringing some of its bigger titles to its competitor. In 2022, Activision opted to bring the Call of Duty series back to Steam, making Modern Warfare II the first Call of Duty title available on the service since 2017's World War II.

In an email sent to GameSpot by a Blizzard representative, the company wrote that Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra said this move was part of Blizzard's effort to not only listen to players, but to "try to exceed their expectations in everything we do." Valve president Gabe Newell then added:

"Gamers and developers are both going to benefit from Overwatch 2 coming to Steam. Gamers will have another platform where they can play a beloved game that utilizes the capabilities of Steam, and developers will benefit from the effects of having the talented team at Blizzard helping us evolve our supported features and functionality for Overwatch 2."

Activision Blizzard isn't the only company opting to bring its games over to Steam after attempting to keep them exclusive. Though both Xbox and EA have their own clients, over time the companies have moved several of their best-selling titles to Steam as well. Epic, however, continues to compete against Steam, utilizing Fortnite, other exclusive titles, and steep discounts to create a dedicated fanbase. However, Steam remains the dominant player in this space, boasting as many as 120 million users back in August 2021 compared to Epic's 56 million.

Also notable about Overwatch 2's August 10 Steam release date is that it is this date that kicks off the game's sixth season, Invasion. Perhaps the most highly-anticipated season of Overwatch 2 yet, Invasion features the game's first-ever set of PvE Story Missions. Though these missions will not feature the character skill trees Blizzard shared in its initial presentation for the game, they will progress the game's narrative and feature maps "four or five times larger" than those used in PvP matches. Additionally, season 6 will features a new core PvP game mode, Flashpoint, two new maps, and a new hero.

All this comes in the midst of Microsoft's ongoing effort to purchase Activision Blizzard. After winning its court case against the FTC, Microsoft has made every effort to complete the acquisition before the contract's expiration date of July 18--including signing a contact with Sony stating that Activision's Call of Duty franchise will remain available on PlayStation.

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