Ubisoft is 'testing' making its games far less annoying to launch on Steam

Playing a Ubisoft game from Steam usually requires installing and running Ubisoft Connect, which is the publisher's own desktop launcher. It's annoying to use one launcher—Steam—to access another launcher—Ubisoft Connect—in order to play an Assassin's Creed game, but it's been that way for years, and Ubisoft isn't alone in insisting on it: EA and Rockstar both do it too.

But it looks like Ubisoft is changing tack: starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, for some reason, the publisher is "testing" doing away with the launcher altogether, though software will still run in the background for "cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges and rewards" via a new Ubisoft Connect Services Steam tool.

"This first version is an initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience on Steam," the Steam announcement reads. "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."

I don't think this means you won't need a Ubisoft Connect account: It'll likely operate more like Diablo 4, which requires a Battle.net account but doesn't require launching the Battle.net application.

The post also promises that the new method will roll out to other Ubisoft games in the future. It'll be nice when it does: I've definitely resisted the spontaneous urge for a Rainbow Six Siege match due to the petty annoyance of getting it to open. When Robin Valentine rated all of PC gaming's launchers in 2024, Ubisoft's came in very close to the bottom.

"Another launcher only used under duress, Ubisoft Connect's most notable feature is adding even more things to earn and buy to Ubisoft's already overstuffed games," he wrote.