For years, if you wanted to play a Blizzard game on the PC, you had no choice but to load up the Battle.net installer application. Battle.net was even expanded to include some major Activision games after the companies merged — it’s currently hosting a ton of Call of Duty games and Crash Bandicoot 4. But it looks like Blizzard’s long aversion to other game stores and platforms is about to end. Starting in August, at least some Blizzard games will be available to download on Steam, the de facto standard for PC gaming. Overwatch 2 will get the party started.
Words were long and details were scarce in a Blizzard blog post covering the news. Gamers will be able to download the free-to-play Overwatch 2 via Steam’s system, but will still need a separate Battle.net account (in addition to a Steam account, of course). This setup mirrors a lot of games from larger publishers on Steam, like Ubisoft and EA titles that require separate launchers and accounts even if you buy and download their games through the Steam interface. It isn’t clear whether or not Overwatch players will need the Battle.net client installed as well, but the announcement says that Steam features like multiplayer friends lists and achievements will be integrated into the game.
Overwatch 2 has had a rough time lately. Initial excitement over the quasi-sequel quickly waned after its shift to a full free-to-play setup left a sour taste in gamers’ mouths. It didn’t help that Activision-Blizzard axed an expanded co-op mode, which was initially promoted as Overwatch 2‘s biggest content addition over the initial game. Recently the game’s eSports push, the Overwatch League, has seen devastating setbacks as Blizzard laid off fifty employees dedicated to its management. The company might be looking to expand the game’s appeal by finally appearing on more accessible marketplaces.
More Blizzard games will be coming to Steam, though the announcement post doesn’t say what or when. Given Overwatch 2‘s free-to-play setup, it seems possible that World of Warcraft and the card battler spinoff Hearthstone will make their way across at some point. Battle.net’s stand-alone launcher isn’t going anywhere for the time being. Activision games are already available to buy and play on Steam.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.