LogInA Battle.net account is still required to access the game, though.
Blizzard Entertainment has made an exciting announcement, revealing their plans to bring a selection of their games to Steam. The primary objective behind this move is to enhance accessibility and gameplay experience for a broader audience beyond just Battle.net users.
"As we've evolved, the industry has evolved too – gaming is no longer just for specific communities as it was when Battle.net launched over two decades ago, gaming is for everyone – and though we remain committed to continually investing in and supporting Battle.net, we want to break down the barriers to make it easier for players everywhere to find and enjoy our games," reads the announcement.
The first game from Blizzard making its way to Valve's PC game store is Overwatch 2. Players can look forward to accessing the game on Steam starting August 10, 2023, coinciding with the release of Overwatch 2: Invasion, an upcoming pay-to-play bundle featuring the much-awaited PvE Story Missions, a new core PvP game mode with two new maps, and a new hero. According to the developer, they believe that "as a free-to-play, team-based game, Overwatch 2 is the perfect title for Blizzard's debut on the platform".
"It's our goal at Blizzard to listen to players and try to exceed their expectations in everything we do," commented President of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra. "While Battle.net remains a priority for us now and into the future, we've heard players want the choice of Steam for a selection of our games, starting with Overwatch 2 on August 10. We're happy to work with Valve to make that happen."
Gabe Newell, the President of Valve, has also expressed his thoughts on the matter, stating that the arrival of Overwatch 2 on Steam will bring advantages for both gamers and developers alike:
"Gamers and developers are both going to benefit from Overwatch 2 coming to Steam," he said. "Gamers will have another platform where they can play a beloved game that utilizes the capabilities of Steam, and developers will benefit from the effects of having the talented team at Blizzard helping us evolve our supported features and functionality for Overwatch 2."
While Overwatch 2's arrival on Steam is a promising development, not everything is sunshine and rainbows, though, and players will still be required to have a Battle.net account to access Overwatch 2 through Steam, adhering to Blizzard's official policy. The developer has clarified that players on Steam will have to connect Overwatch 2 to a Battle.net account and will have access to Steam's features of the platform while playing Overwatch 2, such as achievements and their Steam friends list.
It's worth noting that so far, Overwatch 2 is the sole game confirmed to be making its way to Steam. Blizzard has hinted at the possibility of other games being added to the platform in the future, but they will reveal more details "when the time is right".
You can read the full announcement here and access Overwatch 2's Steam page over here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.