Why 'Overwatch' Isn't On Steam: It Should Be Pretty Obvious

If you haven’t already jumped into the wonderful world of Overwatch , you are really missing out. I’ve been gushing about this game ever since it’s been released, logging countless hours flying, punching and blasting whatever I can find on maps all across the world. In order to celebrate the holiday season, Blizzard has lowered the price of the game to $40 for the base version, and I recommend buying it, regardless of platform.

Some players who are new to the whole Blizzard thing are wondering why Overwatch isn’t on Steam. Valve’s highly successful PC gaming system allows users to buy and play pretty much every game under the sun. Unless a game was made by Blizzard (or EA), it’s on the Steam marketplace right now. Steam has a zealot-like fan base that thinks that their game-sharing platform is the best and diehard fans want nothing to do with other launchers.

Blizzard has it’s own PC launcher called battle.net, which takes care of all its games. If you want to play Overwatch, Hearthstone, World Of Warcraft, Heroes Of The Storm or Diablo III on a PC you are going to need to download battle.net. Steam has it’s own version of Overwatch called Paladins, so if you are desperate for a hero shooter but would never leave your precious Steam, this is the only way to play.

Crafty players have managed to create a way for Steam addicts to get the Steam overlay with Blizzard games. On the Overwatch forums, BarterClub created a system where your Blizzard games will show up in your Steam library. I haven’t tried this method out myself, so take everything you see with a grain of salt.

If I haven’t already convinced you that you need to play Overwatch, maybe a little Steam magic will do it.