At a Glance
- Overwatch 2 arrives on Steam on August 10.
- As Overwatch 2 features crossplay, all your data will come with you.
- Blizzard says Overwatch 2 is the first of a “selection” of titles coming to Steam.
Full Story
Blizzard’s multi-team co-op shooter Overwatch 2 is officially coming to the Steam Deck.
According to Blizzard, Overwatch 2 is the first of multiple Blizzard games that are making their way over to Steam from BattleNet.
“It’s our goal at Blizzard to listen to players and try to exceed their expectations in everything we do,” says Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard.
“While BattleNet 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.”
Blizzard didn’t say which games will be making their way over to Steam, but given how many Activision Blizzard games are already on there I’d wager it’s safe to assume some of the MMOs or MOBOs are among the top contenders.
So! Back to Overwatch 2. How does it run on the Steam Deck? Surprisingly well.
Earlier this year I covered how to install the BattleNet version of Overwatch 2 on the Steam Deck, and while the setup is longer than it would be on Steam, the game runs well with some tweaks.
60 frames per second is absolutely possible on the Steam Deck so long as you’re willing to lessen the visuals somewhat. It’s also worth noting the Steam version should, in theory, have stronger Proton support, meaning improvements are sure to be made.
Overwatch 2 comes to Steam on August 10 and is free to download and play with a portion of the game’s roster. Extra characters, player outfits, a battle pass, and a small amount of downloadable content makes up most of the in-game microtransactions.
For more on Overwatch 2, be sure to check back after the launch and I’ll have a performance review out as soon as it’s ready.
