Epic is proving to be quite the fly in Valve’s soup, having already poached a number of developers and titles for its new digital store. And the latest blow comes after we found out that The Division 2 PC release won’t be available on Steam but will run through Epic’s store. You’ll still be able to pick the game up through Ubisoft’s own Uplay platform when it releases on March 15, however.
Reports from Eurogamer suggest that the new partnership between Ubisoft and Epic could see all future Ubisoft titles sold exclusively through Uplay and Epic’s store, though as it stands, Far Cry New Dawn is still available to buy on Steam.
It’s not clear what exactly prompted Ubisoft to strike the deal, though Epic has been gathering a few exclusives for its store since opening up. With indie titles Hades and Ashen only available through Epic’s store for PC. Money is the obvious culprit that we can point to being behind the move from Ubisoft and other developers, with Epic offering a staggering 88 percent of revenue to developers for the games that sell.
While fans of The Walking Dead’s Final Season will need to pick up the game’s final episodes through Epic after Skybound Games reached a deal with Epic to sell the game through its new store exclusively for PC players. There’s a fair amount on offer for consumers as well, with Epic offering free games every two weeks, the most recent being What Remains of Edith Finch.
As for how the exclusivity of The Division 2 affects players who buy it on Uplay or through Epic, the store page has reassured players that neither platform will stop friends from playing together. Meaning that if you buy the game through Uplay and your friend picks it up from Epic, you’ll still be able to play together when The Division 2 arrives on March 15.
