- Ubisoft has confirmed that future Steam releases will no longer require its proprietary launcher.
- The company has removed the Ubisoft Launcher requirement for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
- It will instead use a new Ubisoft Connect Services Steam tool that provides the same services.
Starting around 2019, Ubisoft shifted tentpole releases to its own mandatory Connect Launcher, which many saw as a major misstep because it alienated a huge portion of PC players from its titles. The company has since returned to launching games on Steam.
However, its Steam releases have still required the Ubisoft Connect Launcher to be available and installed on PC. The publisher is now finally moving away from that controversial requirement, starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Why it matters: Many Ubisoft games suffered from negative reviews because of their mandatory Connect Launcher integration, so removing that requirement might finally solve one of the biggest hurdles that were dragging the company down on Steam.
Ubisoft has now announced it is testing a new Ubisoft Connect Services Steam tool. It will allow features like cross-progression, cross-play, and the like to work in the background without needing the Connect Launcher to be installed or launched on the player’s PC.
This first version is an initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience on Steam.
-Ubisoft.
The announcement also says that the new tool will progressively roll out to more Ubisoft titles on Steam in the future. Therefore, we can expect other upcoming Ubisoft games on Steam to get rid of the mandatory launcher requirements over time.
The company will continue to iterate and improve the new Connect Services Steam tool over time to make the Steam experience ‘as seamless as possible.’
The Ubisoft Connect Launcher was highly controversial because it barred players from loading into Steam games early and suffered from many other issues at times.
Players are now also asking other publishers to take the same step on Steam with their proprietary launchers moving forward, such as EA and Rockstar’s own client.
Do you think Ubisoft removing its launcher from Steam games will improve players’ perception? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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