Steam has become the de-facto leader for one-stop game purchases on PC. While my suffering over the dying breed of physical copies over digital usage licenses is a topic for another article, I have to agree. Steam makes everyone’s life easier on PC. Not only does it unify gaming purchases on a platform, but it also makes gaming on the Steam Deck easier. Blizzard knows this, and after bringing Overwatch 2 to Steam in August, they are now bringing over another recent title. This time, it’s Diablo 4, the tale of Lilith and Inarius.
Diablo 4 Prepares to Raise Hell on Steam
Announced during the latest Dev Update stream, Diablo 4 is launching on Steam as early as this month. The official announcement reads that Steam users can purchase the game from October 17, 2023. Currently, the official page is live, and you can wishlist the title to get a notification when it becomes available. Interestingly enough, the Steam launch coincides with the release of Season of Blood, which is the second season of Diablo 4.
Steam players will get some Steam-specific features, like an invite option for their Steam friends through Steam Invite and achievements. Furthermore, there will be complete crossplay available with Steam and every other platform, so your Battle.net friends can continue playing through the game. Of course, you need to have a Battle.net account to play the game, regardless of owning 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, follow various methods to install the game from the launcher. Otherwise, you have to double-dip and purchase a new copy on Steam.
It seems Blizzard is committed to releasing their titles on Steam. As mentioned by Mike Ybarra, the president of Blizzard Entertainment, they want to exceed the expectations of their player base. Ybarra reiterated that they were still committed to Battle.net, a claim that I find questionable, seeing its overall support.
This is also the second Battle.net exclusive that makes a leap on Steam. The first was Overwatch 2, the 5v5 hero shooter and the sequel to 2015’s Overwatch. Hopefully this time, the developers don’t want a repeat of the Overwatch 2 launch. That game quickly became the worst-reviewed title on Steam on launch. So, are you excited for the Diablo 4 launch on Steam? Do you plan on repurchasing the title on Steam? Let us know in the comments below.
