Let’s be real, most people use Steam as their primary launcher for PC games. Despite the fact that Battle.net is one of the very few platforms that came out before Valve’s, it seems that even Blizzard is going to start bringing its titles over. This begins with Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 is set to release on Steam on August 10, and will be compatible with your Steam friends list and offer its own array of Steam achievements. Although you won’t need Battle.net installed to enjoy the hero-based shooter, you’ll still need to link over your account.
This move is sudden for Blizzard, but it’s more than likely tied to the Microsoft acquisition/merger deal. However, there could also be a correlation between it and the current state of the Overwatch League. Amid a sprawling series of layoffs in the eSports department, franchise owners are being asked by Blizzard to vote on whether to continue in its current format.
If teams fail to come to an agreement under the updated operating terms, they will be paid a $6 million termination fee each.
According to Blizzard, the company will be “sharing more about potential other games coming to the platform when the time is right.” This means we will likely see World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Hearthstone, and many others appear soon.
If more Blizzard games get brought to Steam, that likely means there will be more titles available for play on the Deck. Given that Overwatch 2 already works great on Nintendo Switch, the odds are almost guaranteed it will perform well on the Steam Deck.
Even though we’ve seen companies build and/or maintain their own launchers over the past 5-10 years, such as Origin, Uplay, and Epic Games, it seems as though everyone eventually comes crawling back to Steam.