Overwatch 2 Is Coming to Steam
Overwatch 2 is staying on Battle.net, but it's also coming to Steam soon.
Blizzard is bringing Overwatch 2 to Steam starting on August 10th, the company announced this week. The free-to-play evolution of the original Overwatch (which was never on Steam) will support cross-platform play and other features offered by the Battle.net version of the game. That Battle.net version isn't going anywhere either, and you'll still need a Blizzard account connected to the game even if you want to play on Steam, so don't plan on getting rid of that anytime soon if you're planning on playing via Steam come August 10th.
Overwatch 2 already has cross-progression between different platforms, so if you've been playing on the PC via Battle.net, switching over to Steam shouldn't be an issue. This release also comes not long before the launch of Overwatch 2: Invasion, the next big content drop that's set to add a new hero and more.
For those wondering what Overwatch 2's venture onto Steam might mean for Battle.net overall, Blizzard's announcement said it "committed to continually investing in and supporting Battle.net." Mike Ybarra, the president of Blizzard, said as much in a prepared statement that said Battle.net remains a priority.
Overwatch 2 is coming to Steam on August 10th with its biggest content drop ever!https://t.co/DB5U0Vr5EA
— Steam (@Steam) July 19, 2023
"It's our goal at Blizzard to listen to players and try to exceed their expectations in everything we do," said 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 10th. We're happy to work with Valve to make that happen."
It's also worth pointing out that Overwatch 2 is not the end of Blizzard's plans for Steam. Rather, it's the start. Blizzard said in the announcement that it plans on "bringing a selection" of the publisher's games to Steam and said that the game is the "perfect title for Blizzard's debut on the platform." Blizzard said it'll be sharing more news about other games coming to Steam "when the time is right."