After years of tenacity with its own PC launcher, Battle.net, Blizzard has finally unearthed and released several games on Valve’s popular storefront, Steam. And it starts with Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 is coming to Steam on August 10th. The game’s store page is already live. This release coincides with Invasion, a new content update that includes PvE story missions, a new PvP game mode, two new maps, and new heroes. To play Overwatch 2 via Steam, users will still need to connect their Battle.net account to the game.
and blog post of the dayBlizzard explains that the reasoning behind the decision to release some of its games on Steam was driven by a desire to “break down barriers” among the gaming community.
“It’s Blizzard’s goal to listen to our players and try to exceed their expectations in everything we do,” said Blizzard President Mike Ybarra. “Battle.net remains a priority for us now and in the future, but we’ve heard players want Steam to be their choice for some games, starting with Overwatch 2 on August 10th. We are excited to be working with Valve to make that happen.”
But it’s worth noting that the news was released on the same day as Activision-Blizzard’s earnings report, in which the company said Overwatch 2 engagement and player investment had been “continuously admitted that it had decreased. The move to Steam may have been, at least in part, a decision made to breathe new life into a dwindling player base. The game has been somewhat controversial since its release, with players particularly upset by the game’s decision to cancel his PvE his hero his mode, which is the main difference between this game and the original Overwatch. However, IGN’s sequel launch review said the switch to a 5v5 format “breathed new life” into the shooter.
No word yet on what other Blizzard games will be coming to the Steam Launcher in the future, but Blizzard has hinted that more games are in the works. Activision recently made a similar move to bring Call of Duty back to Steam after his five-year hiatus from the platform. The company called it a “failure” During the recent FTC v. Microsoft trial.
Rebekah Valentine is IGN’s Senior Reporter. you can find her on her twitter @duck valentine.
