Blizzard has announced that it will extend a selection of its games to the Steam platform, beginning with Overwatch 2, slated for availability on Steam from August 10.
Mike Ybarra, President of Blizzard Entertainment, outlined the motivation behind this move, saying, “Our objective at Blizzard is to heed our players and strive to surpass their expectations in all our endeavors. Despite Battle.net retaining its central importance for us presently and in the future, we’ve recognized the demand for the option of Steam for some of our games, starting with Overwatch 2 on August 10th. We’re pleased to collaborate with Valve to make this a reality.”
Gabe Newell, Valve’s president, expressed his optimism regarding this development, noting, “The arrival of Overwatch 2 on Steam signifies a win-win for both gamers and developers. Gamers gain an additional platform for a much-loved game that leverages the capabilities of Steam, while developers will reap the benefits of Blizzard’s skilled team helping us refine our supported features and functionality for Overwatch 2.”
As a free-to-play, team-based game, Overwatch 2 is viewed as an ideal choice for Blizzard’s premiere on the platform. The upcoming Overwatch 2: Invasion launch packs more new types of gameplay experiences than any point in the game’s seven-year history, inclusive of the inaugural set of PvE Story Missions, a novel core PvP game mode with two new maps, and a fresh hero.
The expansion of Overwatch 2 onto Steam does not diminish its presence on Battle.net. The community currently accessing the game via Battle.net can continue to do so without any required changes. Steam players will still need to link Overwatch 2 to a Battle.net account, a requirement across all platforms, which enables features like cross-platform play. Steam users will be able to leverage platform features while playing Overwatch 2, such as Steam achievements, their Steam friends list, and in-game invitations. Blizzard eagerly anticipates the reactions from the Overwatch community, both veteran players and newcomers joining via Steam.
Details about further Blizzard games heading to Steam will be communicated when appropriate. In the meantime, the Overwatch 2 Steam page is already live and ready to be added to wishlists. The Overwatch community is invited to extend a warm welcome to their new teammates joining from Steam come August 10.
Comments