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Ubisoft games finally return to Steam after 3-year hiatus

Ubisoft is bringing Assassin's Creed Valhalla back to Steam's storefront after a three-year absence from the platform.
Ubisoft Forward Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Ubisoft games is returning to Steam after a three-year absence, beginning with the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on the storefront.

The most recent Assassin’s Creed game, released in 2020, is set to make its return to Valve’s PC game storefront on 7 December 2022, alongside Ubisoft titles like Roller Champions and Anno 1800, which are set for release at a later date. The last Ubisoft game released on Steam was in February 2019 – Trials Rising – before the publisher took to its own platform, Ubisoft Connect, as well as the Epic Games Store for new releases thereafter.

‘We’re constantly evaluating how to bring our games to different audiences wherever they are, while providing a consistent player ecosystem through Ubisoft Connect. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Anno 1800, and Roller Champions are among the Ubisoft titles that will be releasing on Steam,’ a Ubisoft spokesperson told multiple outlets.

The publisher’s initial exit from Steam came as Ubisoft executive Chris Early called the company’s business model ‘unrealistic’. ‘It doesn’t reflect where the world is today in terms of game distribution,’ he told The New York Times in August 2019.

While it isn’t clear what part of Steam’s business model was being referred to, the marked difference between Steam’s 30% cut of all games sales, as opposed to the Epic Games Store’s 12% cut, may have played a role.

The Epic Games Store is also no stranger to enticing publishers to make their games exclusive to the storefront, having previously offered millions to exclusively release games like 2K Games’ Borderlands 3. Ubisoft isn’t the only publisher to have made an exodus from Steam, with Activision and EA having also previously struck out on their own or alternative launchers.

Read: Assassin’s Creed Liberation turns 10: A forgotten but important legacy

While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was originally released in November 2020, its debut on Steam in December aligns with the game’s final post-release content update, a free epilogue titled the ‘Last Chapter’ that wraps up Eivor’s story. The publisher also confirmed that the game would not be receiving a New Game+ Mode.

There’s currently no confirmation that this move signals a full return of Ubisoft to Steam going forward, the return to Valve’s storefront after such an extended absence does suggest the publisher might have their sights on diversifying their distribution model as they prepare for a raft of upcoming Assassin’s Creed game releases.

Emily Spindler-Carruthers is a journalist interested in writing about diversity and accessibility in gaming, and the ways in which video games can impact communities. You can find her @Sagef0xx on Twitter.