Ubisoft's recent financial updates have not been particularly favorable for investors, especially with the underwhelming performance of Star Wars Outlaws and the delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows to 2025. However, there was a positive development regarding the company's relationship with Steam. Ubisoft has changed its previous stance and will now release both Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows on Steam, along with other titles on their launch day.
In 2019, Ubisoft executive Chris Early discussed the company's decision to distance itself from Steam, criticizing its business model. "It's unrealistic, the current business model they have," Early stated. "It doesn't reflect where the world is today in terms of game distribution." Instead of relying on Steam, Ubisoft opted to distribute its games through its own online store and the Epic Games Store. It was widely believed that Ubisoft favored Epic because it takes a smaller cut of sales compared to Steam. Ubisoft's renewed interest in Steam might indicate that the company sees potential in leveraging Steam's broader reach to boost sales.
Star Wars Outlaws is set to arrive on Steam on November 21, while Assassin's Creed Shadows will debut on Steam simultaneously with its console release on February 14, 2025.
