So I just woke up to some pretty big gaming news that I never thought I'd see in 2025 - Blizzard is FINALLY putting their games on Steam! It's been almost exactly two years since they first announced this move back in 2023, and I'm still processing how much the gaming landscape has shifted since then.

For those who don't know, Blizzard has been the definition of a walled garden for decades. Since 1996, if you wanted to play any Blizzard title on PC - whether that's World of Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft, or Overwatch - you had to use their Battle.net launcher. No exceptions. This was just how things worked, like gravity or paying taxes.

The Steam Revolution Begins

When Overwatch 2 first landed on Steam back in August 2023, I remember the gaming community basically exploding with reactions. Some highlights:

• 😲 Shock that Blizzard was actually willing to share their toys

• 🤔 Confusion about still needing a Battle.net account

• 🎉 Celebration from Steam deck users

• 💰 Speculation about what this meant for Blizzard's finances

Now, almost two years later, we've seen several more Blizzard titles make the jump to Steam. I've personally enjoyed being able to keep all my games in one place, and the Steam Workshop integration for some titles has been incredible for mods.

Why This Matters in 2025

The gaming industry has changed dramatically in the last few years. Remember when every publisher was trying to launch their own launcher? Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, EA App, GOG, Battle.net - it was launcher hell on our desktops!

I think Blizzard finally realized what many of us have been saying for years:

1. Players want convenience

2. Discoverability matters

3. Steam's community features are unmatched

My friend who works in game development (no, you can't have his name, lol) told me that internal data at many studios showed that Steam releases consistently outperformed exclusive launcher releases, sometimes by factors of 5-10x for certain game types.

The Battle.net Requirement Drama

One thing that initially annoyed me about Blizzard's Steam releases was still needing a Battle.net account. Like, what's the point of being on Steam if I still need your launcher?

```

Me in 2023: "I hate having multiple launchers!"

Blizzard: "We're coming to Steam!"

Me: "Amazing!"

Blizzard: "But you still need Battle.net!"

Me: 😑

```

But I've come to understand the technical reasons. Cross-play with console players requires the Battle.net infrastructure, and rebuilding all that just for Steam would be a massive undertaking.

The Financial Reality

Let's talk money for a second. Steam takes a 30% cut of sales (though this decreases for mega-hits). That's a HUGE chunk of revenue to give up if you already have your own storefront.

But clearly Activision Blizzard (now owned by Microsoft, which still feels weird to type) did the math and realized:

• 70% of a much larger pie > 100% of a smaller pie

• Player acquisition costs were lower on Steam

• The benefits outweighed the revenue share

What's Changed Since Launch

Since Blizzard first dipped their toes in the Steam waters, we've seen:

Game	Steam Launch	Current Peak Players
Overwatch 2	Aug 2023	85,000+
Diablo IV	Mar 2024	220,000+
WoW Classic	Nov 2024	310,000+

These numbers are honestly pretty impressive, especially for games that were already established on another platform.

My Personal Experience

I've been playing Blizzard games since Warcraft II (yes, I'm old, don't @ me), and I've had Battle.net installed on every PC I've owned since college. But there's something genuinely convenient about having everything in Steam.

The Workshop support for custom games, the easy screenshot sharing, the seamless friend invites - it's all just better. And being able to play on my Steam Deck without jumping through hoops? Chef's kiss. 👨‍🍳💋

What This Means For Gaming's Future

I think Blizzard's move to Steam represents something bigger than just one company expanding distribution. It signals a potential return to platform consolidation rather than fragmentation.

The period from 2018-2023 was all about companies pulling games from Steam to build their own ecosystems. Now the pendulum seems to be swinging back the other way. Microsoft putting their games on Steam, now Blizzard, who's next?

Maybe in 2026 we'll see Epic put Fortnite on Steam? (Okay, that might be going too far, but a gamer can dream!)

So here we are in 2025, and I'm launching Blizzard games through Steam. Younger gamers probably don't understand why this is such a big deal, but those of us who lived through the launcher wars... we know. We remember the dark times of having 8 different launchers all starting up with Windows.

And honestly? It's nice to see that sometimes, companies actually do listen to what players want. Even if it took them decades to do it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check my Steam achievements in World of Warcraft. What a time to be alive!