One day we hear one thing; the next day, the opposite. But maybe this time, the rumor is actually true.

A few days ago, Jez Corden, an editor at Windows Central, suggested that, as part of its new PC gaming strategy, Xbox might stop releasing PC games on Steam. After double-checking his sources, however, Corden clarified the situation. He confirmed that Xbox has no such plans. However, he says that some changes are expected in how Xbox games are released. Battle.net is reportedly opening up to third-party developers. According to Corden, this plan has been in place for some time. However, he adds that there are no signs that this has changed under the new leadership headed by CEO Asha Sharma.

Traditionally, Battle.net was used exclusively for Blizzard games. Over the years, however, other Activision titles, such as Call of Duty, were added to the platform. After Microsoft’s acquisition, titles published by Xbox were added as well, including The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed from Obsidian and DOOM: The Dark Ages from id Software. A program codenamed Positron will soon allow users to convert their physical game discs into digital licenses. Microsoft is expected to announce the program later this month, possibly at Gamescom, so we won’t have to wait long to find out exactly how it will work. Corden also learned that Microsoft continues to invest significant resources in the Xbox PC app, the Play Anywhere service, PC backward compatibility, and closer integration with various third-party launchers (e.g., Ubisoft Connect and the EA app).

All things considered, Corden paints a much less dramatic picture than the initial speculation. While Xbox isn’t planning to abandon Steam, which would have been a disastrous move, it appears that Microsoft is investing in a broader PC ecosystem built around the Xbox app, Game Pass, Battle.net, Play Anywhere, and its own account infrastructure. The goal seems to be providing players and publishers with more interconnected options for purchasing, accessing, and transferring games between Xbox consoles and PCs rather than cutting them off from Valve’s extremely popular store.

This approach also makes sense from a business perspective. Removing first-party games from Steam would mean turning its back on a massive PC audience and significant revenue. Meanwhile, strengthening Microsoft’s own platforms could create new revenue opportunities without taking that risk. As Microsoft moves toward its next-gen hardware plans, it seems dedicated to strengthening its PC presence, making it more competitive, interoperable, and useful. Steam must be part of that equation, especially since Project Helix is expected to support Steam games.

Source: PCGamer, Windows Central