Blizzard’s Bringing Its PC Video games To Steam, Beginning With Overwatch 2

Blizzard Leisure is bringing its PC video games to Steam, beginning with the discharge of Overwatch 2 on Valve’s digital storefront on Aug. 10, Blizzard introduced Wednesday. Polygon studies: The Home windows PC model of Overwatch 2, like lots of Blizzard’s PC video games, is presently solely obtainable by Battle.internet. However with Microsoft’s impending acquisition of Activision Blizzard and declining participant engagement within the recreation, the maker of Diablo, Warcraft, and Overwatch seems to be altering its technique. Blizzard says it’ll convey “a variety” of its video games to Steam, however didn’t specify which titles past Overwatch 2 will make the leap from Battle.internet. (A number of basic Blizzard video games, together with the unique Diablo and the primary two Warcraft video games, can be found by GOG.com.)

The acceptance of Steam as a platform for Blizzard’s video games is a part of the studio’s evolution, the corporate stated in a weblog put up. “[O]ne of the concepts pushing us ahead is assembly gamers world wide the place they’re, and making our video games as straightforward as attainable to entry and play,” the corporate stated. “We need to give everybody an opportunity to expertise our universes with previous buddies whereas making new ones, irrespective of how they select to play.” In its announcement, Blizzard stated it isn’t shifting away from Battle.internet. However, it defined, “as we have advanced, the trade has advanced too — gaming is now not only for particular communities because it was when Battle.internet launched over twenty years in the past, gaming is for everybody — and although we stay dedicated to repeatedly investing in and supporting Battle.internet, we need to break down the obstacles to make it simpler for gamers in all places to seek out and luxuriate in our video games.”

Blizzard says that gamers on Steam will nonetheless want a Battle.internet account linked to Overwatch 2 to play the sport. The Steam model will help Steam achievements and buddies lists, however Blizzard didn’t announce Steam Deck help. Overwatch 2 can now be wishlisted by Steam. As for Blizzard’s future plans for different recreation releases on Steam, the corporate stated it is going to be “sharing extra about potential different video games coming to the platform when the time is true.”