Bethesda took to Twitter today to reveal and confirm that multiple games on the publisher’s slate will be coming to Steam, in addition to its own Bethesda.net launcher. Doom Eternal, Rage 2, and more will all be released on Steam as well as the Bethesda client. Even more welcome is the news about Fallout 76, Bethesda’s attempt at a Fallout online game, which released exclusively on Bethesda.net last year. Apparently Bethesda has changed its mind, as Fallout 76 will also be a Bethesda Steam release “later this year.”
The full list of Bethesda Steam releases include Doom Eternal, Rage 2, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, and Fallout 76. The two Wolfenstein games were revealed at Bethesda’s E3 conference last year, but we haven’t heard anything from them since. Youngblood is a co-op-focused sequel to Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, set years in the future, a little like Far Cry New Dawn. Cyberpilot, on the other hand, is a VR adventure that seems to take place entirely on the back of a Nazi robot dog. Rage 2 is out this May, and Doom Eternal is still presumed to be releasing this year.
We’re pleased to announce that RAGE 2, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, and DOOM Eternal will be released on Steam as well as https://t.co/p0BARqmTBp. We will also be bringing Fallout 76 to Steam later this year.
— Bethesda (@bethesda) March 25, 2019
In many ways, this announcement feels like a response to the backlash many game publishers and developers have faced recently, when they announced their titles would not appear on Steam. Bethesda itself faced criticism when it revealed that Fallout 76 would not be coming to Steam, and would be exclusive to the publisher’s own client. Since then, however, player anger has moved more to the Epic Games Store, and the way it seems to be enticing game after game to become exclusive to it. Titles such as Metro Exodus, Phoenix Point, The Outer Worlds, and Control all faced player criticism after moving to Epic’s client and pulling their Steam release.
Bethesda presumably would like to get away from such controversy and begin currying favor with gamers again, which is possibly also why it’s giving away a free copy of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind today. Time will tell if Bethesda will continue to support Steam in the future.
