After a largely monopolistic run in the PC video games market, Steam is facing what looks to be tough competition from emerging stores. The Epic Games Store in particular has managed to snag itself a monumental win, as a new partnership with Ubisoft will see The Division 2 snub Steam entirely in favour of the new platform.

While The Division 2 will, of course, still be available on Ubisoft’s own digital store, Uplay and the Epic Store will be the only two places to purchase the sequel since its removal from Steam this morning. Those that pre-ordered on Valve’s platform needn’t worry, as Ubisoft has confirmed it will honour all purchases made elsewhere.

The Division 2 joins a range of Epic Store exclusives, such as Ashen, Hades, and Journey, however this is the first blockbuster from a third-party developer to step into the fray. The only other title to bring an established brand is The Walking Dead: The Final Season, set for release on January 15^th.

It looks as though The Division 2 will be just one of many games to come from the partnership, as “additional select titles to be announced during the coming year”. Chris Early, VP of partnerships at Ubisoft shared a few words regarding this latest announcement: “Epic continues to disrupt the video game industry, and their third party digital distribution model is the latest example, and something Ubisoft wants to support”. With that in mind, we can expect other major releases from Ubisoft to also land on the Epic Games store in the future.

Not only does Valve need to watch its back with the Epic Games Store roaming around the block, it also needs to be wary of Discord. The voice chat platform has managed to entice its own exclusives thanks to its unrivalled 10 percent revenue take, such as At Sundown, Bad North and the Kickstarter-funded Last Year: The Nightmare for its first 90 days.

KitGuru Says: I agree with Epic Games in that competition is healthy and certainly in favour of the customer. I’d much rather download multiple clients and potentially save money from competitive prices than be forced to buy from a single store that drives prices ever-higher. How do you feel about The Division 2 heading to the Epic Store instead of Steam?

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