Overwatch 2 is coming to Steam, and more Blizzard games may soon be on the way

By Tomas Franzese Published July 19, 2023

Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that Overwatch 2 will make its way to Steam on August 10, the same day its next season, titled Invasion, begins.

Overwatch 2 has been available on PC since its October 4, 2022, early access launch, but until now players had to download Blizzard’s proprietary launcher, Battle.net, in order to play it. Although players will still need a Battle.net account that they can connect to Steam to play the game online, Overwatch 2 will be fully integrated into Valve’s popular launcher, with support for things like achievements, compatibility with Steam friends lists, and Steam game invites. This launch is also timed to happen alongside the start of Season 6: Invasion, which will introduce the first batch of PvE story missions to the game.

Recommended Videos

In a blog post on Blizzard’s website, the company confirms that this is actually just the start of a plan to bring more Blizzard games to Steam, stating that it will be “sharing more about potential other games coming to the platform when the time is right.” There aren’t plans to completely abandon Battle.net, though, with Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra saying in the same blog post that “Battle.net remains a priority for us now and into the future.”

Still, starting initiatives to bring Blizzard Entertainment games to more platforms makes a lot of sense ahead of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Overwatch 2’s Steam page is already live for those who want to wish list or bookmark it ahead of release.

Overwatch 2 is available for free right now across Battle.net, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch; Steam will be added to that lineup on August 10.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Topics

Gaming

Valve won’t release a Steam Deck 2 until there’s a proper ‘generational leap’

Steam Deck over a pink background.

Don't expect a Steam Deck 2 any time soon -- or at least, not within the year. While Valve has confirmed that it's working on an official follow-up to its popular handheld console, it's against the idea of annual hardware releases.

In an interview with Reviews.org (spotted by The Verge), Steam Deck designers Lawrence Yang and Yazan Aldehayyat weighed in on the product's future. While they said they approve of competition in the space and how they can (and in some cases have) improve on the Steam Deck foundation, they're not going to follow the trend of releasing new versions with incremental improvements.

Gaming

Blizzard book Play Nice reveals dozens of canceled games

A hunter crouches before footprints in Blizzard concept art.

As the company behind immensely popular games like World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, and Overwatch 2, Blizzard Entertainment has always been one of gaming's megapowers. Now, a new book delves into the company’s long and complicated history. Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, is the latest book from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. It begins at Blizzard’s creation, goes through its success with hits like Warcraft III, and culminates with its recent struggles, including feuds with parent company Activision, the 2021 sexual harassment lawsuit, and the impact of Microsoft’s 2023 acquisition of the company.

It's a fantastic read, and I highly recommend you pick a copy up for yourself. It gives great insight into what studios gain and lose when becoming one of the most popular companies in the video game industry. For fans of Blizzard, there are some especially juicy tidbits to learn, including a long list of canceled projects from the developer's long history. I've compiled every canceled project featured in the book, from StarCraft: Ghost to Odyssey, but you can learn much more about the projects and the context around them in Play Nice.
Denizen
Denizen is described as "a dungeon-crawler that was shelved due to lack of resources." Not much more is known about it.
Bloodlines
Bloodlines was a "space vampire" game in development at Blizzard. Play Nice reveals it was canceled because it "didn't resonate with enough staff to justify its existence."

Gaming

10 essential Steam Deck games you’ll keep coming back to

Hades 2 key art from its first trailer.

I can't imagine life without my Steam Deck. Valve's handheld PC has fundamentally changed how I play games with a massive chunk of my playtime now happening on the device. I don't travel without it and I'm even using my Nintendo Switch less and less because of it. It's a life-saver for someone who travels and commutes quite a bit.

Because I'm so often on the move, I like to keep a few games always installed on my Steam Deck. It's a small handful of titles that I can bring up any time when I'm not sure what to play. These tend to be "infinitely replayable" titles, like roguelikes, that can kill a long flight or train ride with ease. If you're looking for some standby games that you can always go back to when you need something to play, I recommend keeping these games installed on your Steam Deck at all times.
Vampire Survivors