Multiple outlets are reporting that Ubisoft appears to be testing a change that would end the long-standing requirement to install and run its Ubisoft Connect launcher when playing its games through Steam. According to a Steam announcement post, Ubisoft is introducing a new "Ubisoft Connect Services Steam tool" for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown that keeps features such as cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges and rewards working "without requiring the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher to be installed or launched."
The alleged post states: "This first version is an initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience on Steam. 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." Ubisoft reportedly added that the tool "will progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam in the future," suggesting the change could eventually extend beyond The Lost Crown.
There is some uncertainty around the announcement. The Steam post appears to be visible only to people who already own The Lost Crown, and outlets including Rock Paper Shotgun, Polygon, Eurogamer and Kotaku say they were unable to fully verify it themselves, relying instead on a screenshot shared to Reddit by user NostalgiaKeeper007. Kotaku notes that searching Steam's news feed for "Ubisoft" turns up a matching post from September 8, but clicking through leads to an error page. Several outlets said they had contacted Ubisoft for comment and were awaiting a response.
It remains unclear whether players will still need a Ubisoft Connect account even if the launcher itself isn't required. PC Gamer suggests the setup may resemble Diablo 4's relationship with Battle.net, where an account is needed but the separate application doesn't have to be launched. Eurogamer similarly notes it's unclear whether future buyers will still need to link a Ubisoft account to Steam, as is currently required with Connect.
The launcher has long been unpopular with players, who dislike having to open a second piece of software, tied to its own account and DRM, after already opening Steam. Kotaku traces Ubisoft's push for its own PC platform back to 2009, when the software was known as the Ubisoft Game Launcher and later Uplay. PC Gamer notes that Ubisoft Connect ranked near the bottom of a 2024 ranking of PC launchers, and Polygon points to Reddit reactions welcoming the potential change, as well as unrelated criticism of other publisher-specific software, such as Sony's PSN requirement for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.
Ubisoft is not the only publisher to bundle its own launcher with Steam games; EA and Rockstar do as well, according to PC Gamer, while Eurogamer notes EA's launcher typically runs in a lighter, less intrusive form. Kotaku adds that EA previously opened its Origin launcher to rival publishers' games in an attempt to address the same complaint, without success. If confirmed and expanded to more titles, the change would mark a significant shift in how Ubisoft games are accessed on Steam.