Its really simple to get the steam overlay to work with MWO. But first, why would you want to? Steam overlay and integration provides multiple advantages:
- Allows players to see if their friends are online and playing without starting the game
- Allows your friends to see you are playing the game (a not so subtle hint that they should be playing with you)
- The overlay allows players to communicate, via text chat or voice, with other Steam users who are online (allowing players to coordinate without having to run other software than steam)
- Allows you to easily take and upload screenshots through Steam
- The overlay also allows people with single monitors to browse the internet after dying without having to alt-tab out (and, because it isn't minimised, you can easily see when the match ends)
- Opening through steam minimises the amount of desktop link clutter
- Go to Add a Non-Steam Game
- Select MWO, then click Add Selected Programs
- In your library, right click MechWarrior Online, go to properties
- Go down to the Target: box, and add the word flowthru to the end of the line
- Start MechWarrior Online through steam. Ensure both programs are running in administrator mode to reduce possible errors.
Example of the target box with the added text (This may change depending on your install location):
"M:Piranha GamesMechWarrior OnlineBin32MechWarriorOnline.exe" flowthru
[note in the above the forums have deleted my \'s in the filepath automatically]
Example of the overlay in the mechlab (will change depending on steam skin, also, this picture is at 2560x1440p, will scale and looking clearer at your monitors native resolution):

Edited by Alymbic, 20 May 2014 - 02:54 AM.