Steam has become the de facto leader in one-stop game purchases on PC. While my agonizing over the dying breed of physical copies versus digital usage licenses is a topic for another article, I agree. Steam makes everyone’s life easier on PC. It not only unifies gaming purchases on one platform, but also enables gaming on the platform Steam deck easier. Blizzard knows this, and after bringing Overwatch 2 to Steam in August, they’re now bringing over another recent title. This time it’s Diablo 4, the story of Lilith and Inarius.
Diablo 4 is preparing to raise hell on Steam
Announced during the latest Dev Update stream, Diablo 4 will launch on Steam as early as this month. The official announcement reads where Steam users can purchase the game October 17, 2023. Currently the official page is liveand you can add the title to your wishlist to be notified when it becomes available. Interestingly enough, the Steam launch coincides with the release of Season of Blood, the second season of Diablo 4.
Steam players get a number of Steam-specific features, such as an invite option to their Steam friends via Steam Invitation and performance. Furthermore, there will be complete crossplay available with Steam and any other platform, so your Battle.net friends can keep playing the game. Of course, you’ll need a Battle.net account to play the game, regardless of whether you own it on Steam.
Furthermore, you don’t get a free Steam copy of the title if you own the Battle.net version of Diablo 4. So, if you want to play the game on Steam Deck, then follow different methods to install the game from the launcher. Otherwise, you’ll have to double-dip and buy a new copy on Steam.
It looks like Blizzard is committed to releasing their titles on Steam. As Mike Ybarra, the president of Blizzard Entertainment, said, they want to exceed the expectations of their player base. Ybarra reiterated that they are still committed to Battle.net, a claim I find questionable given its general support.
This is also the second Battle.net exclusive to make the jump on Steam. The first was Overwatch 2, the 5v5 hero shooter and sequel to 2015’s Overwatch. Hopefully the developers don’t want a repeat of the Overwatch 2 launch this time. That game quickly became the worst-rated title on Steam at launch. So, are you excited about the launch of Diablo 4 on Steam? Do you plan on repurchasing the title on Steam? Let us know in the comments below.
