Ubisoft Discontinues Controversial Launcher, Much to Steam Users’ Delight

Another PC game launcher is set to be retired, as Ubisoft joins the trend of moving away from its own launcher for Steam titles. According to a Reddit post by NostalgiaKeeper007, the company is currently testing an update that will allow its Steam games to utilize existing Ubisoft Connect features—such as cross-play and cross-progression—without needing the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher to be installed or running. This change is reportedly being trialed with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

Verifying the Reddit post is tricky since the linked Steam page appears to be accessible only to players who own The Lost Crown. While part of the message can be glimpsed by searching for “Ubisoft” in Steam’s news feed, clicking the link leads to an error.

“This first version is an initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined experience on Steam,” the purported Ubisoft post states. “We will continue to iterate and improve Ubisoft Connect Services over time, with the goal of delivering the features and services players use and expect while making the Steam experience as seamless as possible.” It seems this initiative will extend beyond The Lost Crown, as “Ubisoft Connect Services will progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam in the future.”

Reddit users have expressed their joy over the potential demise of the Ubisoft Connect launcher. One user remarked, “Please dear Lord roll it back to previous Ubisoft games so I can play them on my Steam machine without proton tricks.”

The Ubisoft launcher has faced criticism due to the general dislike for mandatory launchers in PC gaming. Players often find it cumbersome to open Steam only to launch a second application. Additionally, these launchers are frequently linked to other issues, such as requiring publisher-specific accounts to access certain games and built-in DRM.

In a particularly notable case, the Sony-published Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls forces players to log into a PSN account on Steam, which poses a problem in regions where the service is unavailable. Players have speculated that the PSN services running in the background may also hinder performance, leading modders to seek ways to remove the game’s DRM, resulting in significant performance boosts. While Tokon doesn’t utilize a launcher, Sony’s overall management of the game exemplifies the frustrations players have with such software.

The performance issues in the Marvel fighting game may stem from its contentious use of DRM.