Battle.net May Have to Face the Reaper Sooner or Later

Highlights

• Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard means that Xbox Game Studios now has access to popular franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. Changes to the way these developers operate are expected.
• Blizzard’s Battle.net service, which has been the exclusive launcher for Blizzard games for years, may fade into obscurity with Microsoft’s own launcher already in place.
• Blizzard has already begun moving away from the Battle.net brand by launching Overwatch 2 on both Steam and its own platform. More games from Blizzard may follow suit, indicating a potential shift away from Battle.net.

After a year of court battles, Microsoft has officially been able to acquire Activision Blizzard. With this massive deal, Xbox Game Studios now has access to acclaimed franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and even Candy Crush. While the studio has yet to announce what this will actually all mean, there will likely be a few changes to the way these developers operate. Specifically, Blizzard’s Battle.net service may slowly fade into obscurity.

Battle.net has been the home of Blizzard games almost since the beginning of the company. Instead of launching its games through Steam, Battle.net has served as the exclusive launcher for all things Blizzard. A couple of years ago, it was further expanded to other Activision Blizzard franchises, including Call of Duty. However, now that the studio is under the Xbox Game Studios banner, this service may not be around for very much longer. Microsoft already has its own launcher, so there is seemingly no reason to spend resources on two disconnected platforms.

Battle.net Faces an Uncertain Future

Battle.net Has Been Blizzard’s Home for Decades

Battle.net was first introduced back in 1996, a couple of days before the launch of Diablo. At that time, the platform only let players talk to friends and join multiplayer Diablo games. The service was further expanded with the launch of StarCraft in 1998, which also saw a massive increase in users. The release of Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos would see the service gain even more functionality, it would end up taking on a whole new form in 2009, and then it became the Battle.net players know today in 2013.

Battle.net has grown and changed a lot over the years. It has grown from a simple online service to the homeplace of everything Blizzard. For years, it was the only way for players to play any sort of Blizzard game on PC. As of 2017, it has also started playing host to various Activision games, but it is still primarily made for Blizzard fans. However, recent events may put the future of this iconic platform in doubt.

Activision Blizzard May Begin Moving Away From the Battle.net Brand

As of August 2023, Blizzard has begun moving away from the Battle.net launcher a bit. It launched Overwatch 2 on Steam as well as its own platform, and unlike titles from developers like Ubisoft, the game does not require the use of an external launcher. While players still need a Battle.net account, Overwatch 2 can be played entirely without the service. This is a massive change from how Blizzard used to approach PC gaming, and it is allegedly only the first in a long line of games that will expand to other launchers.

Since Steam is the biggest name in PC gaming, it would make sense for Blizzard to tap into that market. But that change could mean that the Battle.net brand is also on its way out. Not only has the studio begun moving towards Steam, but the recent Microsoft acquisition could also mean massive changes are in store for the studio. Because Microsoft already has its own launcher and has been using Steam for a little while, it may put more pressure on Blizzard to leave its old ways behind.

In the future, Blizzard fans may see more titles from the company appear on Steam. Along with that, the entire Battle.net service could be molded into the Xbox app, or vice versa. While it is too early to say that Blizzard’s iconic launcher is dead, its future feels a bit more uncertain because of these recent events. Even though the service may not be around forever, Blizzard’s games will not be going anywhere anytime soon.