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why did Microsoft release all the recent COD games on Steam but not Blizzard games?
Microsoft released so many COD games on Steam since it purchased Activision-Blizzard, including several that were previously exclusive to Blizzard's battle net launcher.

But there are so many Blizzard games that are still exclusive to battle net, like StarCraft: Brood War, StarCraft Remastered, WarCraft 3, World Of WarCraft, StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void, Diablo 2 Resurrected, etc.

Also many of these blizzard games have historically had huge multiplayer populations that are finally in 2025 starting to diminish in size. Sure they still have a lot of players even in 2025, but for many not as many as they had during the 2000's decade.

Releasing some of them on Steam could potentially introduce the many players of a new and much larger platform to these classic games, bring in new sales, and revitalize the player-base for multiplayer in a big way.

Looking at Diablo 2 Resurrected, I see it's available on Battle net, Xbox Series S / X, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. If this is just Microsoft not wanting Steam to take its 10-30% cut of the sales, why are they okay with releasing on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S / X, and Nintendo Switch where Sony Nintendo etc take a similar cut from the sales?

Why wouldn't Microsoft have Blizzard release them on Steam? Or do you think Microsoft isn't micromanaging blizzard to such a degree that they tell them what to release and where, and maybe Blizzard is just running it's own mini-company within Microsoft, and only providing revenue/earnings to Microsoft?

It's just sad to see they'd rather the games die as they remain exclusive to battle net than release on Steam like the Call of Duty games.

EDIT: and as someone mentioned, why did Blizzard release only Overwatch and Diablo 4 and none of their other Blizzard games on Steam?
Last edited by temps; 15 hours ago
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We have yet to see MW2: Remastered return, though.
Originally posted by temps:
Why wouldn't Microsoft have Blizzard release them on Steam? Or do you think Microsoft isn't micromanaging blizzard to such a degree that they tell them what to release and where, and maybe Blizzard is just running it's own mini-company within Microsoft, and only providing revenue/earnings to Microsoft?
Other companies have said that integrating existing logins with Steam logins is tricky. Leading to a lot of technical problems.

Also, Steam takes a cut of microtransactions and sales. As long as Blizzard can make money direct? They are gonna keep doing that.
Originally posted by Jackie Daytona:
Originally posted by temps:
Why wouldn't Microsoft have Blizzard release them on Steam? Or do you think Microsoft isn't micromanaging blizzard to such a degree that they tell them what to release and where, and maybe Blizzard is just running it's own mini-company within Microsoft, and only providing revenue/earnings to Microsoft?
Other companies have said that integrating existing logins with Steam logins is tricky. Leading to a lot of technical problems.

Also, Steam takes a cut of microtransactions and sales. As long as Blizzard can make money direct? They are gonna keep doing that.

There aren't any microtransactions in StarCraft Remastered. And I don't remember many in StarCraft 2 either.

But that aside... if they will always choose to make money directly and exclude Steam, then why did they release all their recent Call of Duty games on Steam then?
I supose the activision part of activision-blizzard wanted it that way and blizzard itself preffers to still take the 100% of revenue of its monthly subscription mmos or whatever other games they still have
Originally posted by The Burger Ratencio:
I supose the activision part of activision-blizzard wanted it that way and blizzard itself preffers to still take the 100% of revenue of its monthly subscription mmos or whatever other games they still have
Pretty sure most of the games I listed like StarCraft Remastered, StarCraft: Brood War, the various StarCraft 2 games etc ... none of them have monthly subscriptions.
no idea which games blizzard makes, never liked them, but yes it is weird since at least 2 of their ''blizzard only'' games are now here: overwatch and i think a diablo? so they must have bothered to do all the cross account stuff already for those games but for some reason not for the rest?
Originally posted by The Burger Ratencio:
no idea which games blizzard makes, never liked them

It's understandable. Blizzard used to make great games in like the 1990's and early 2000's when they were a smaller company and before they got bought out by Activision and Microsoft.

Their modern games are kinda trashy, so unless you went back and played their older classic games like StarCraft: Brood War, WarCraft 3, or Diablo 2, I can see why you wouldn't appreciate Blizzard.

StarCraft Remastered is good though despite being modern because it's a remaster that keeps the gameplay quality the same as the original.
Last edited by temps; 15 hours ago
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