Ubisoft Games Set to Launch on Steam from Day One. The Company Admits Big Mistake from 5 Years Ago
Ubisoft is backtracking on a decision it made in 2019. The company has announced that all its new games will be coming to Steam on launch day.
Although Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has been delayed, Ubisoft delivered two quite positive pieces of news to players today.
- First, the company admitted that Star Wars: Outlaws was severely unfinished at launch and promised a series of updates that would bring the game into its desired state.
- Secondly, the poor sales of this Star Wars game prompted the French giant to change its publishing policy on PC. This means that PC versions of future Ubisoft titles will be released simultaneously on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Store.
In other words, the French are retreating from the decision they made in 2019 on the occasion of the premiere of Anno 1800. This strategy game was initially supposed to be released on Valve's platform, but ultimately this didn't happen. Only people who pre-ordered it before the premiere could play it on Steam, and the title returned to the store only in December 2022, almost 4 years after its release.
The next Ubisoft games - including Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Far Cry 6, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, The Settlers: New Allies, and The Crew: Motorfest - first hit the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store, and only arrived on Steam after several months or even years. Assassin's Creed: Mirage is still not available on Valve's platform, even though the title will celebrate its first birthday on October 5. It's possible that following today's announcement, it will be available on Steam before AC: Shadows (February 14, 2025), and maybe even before SW: Outlaws (November 21, 2024).
