For years, PC gamers have had one recurring complaint about buying Ubisoft titles on Steam: even after launching a game through Valve’s platform, you’re still forced to boot up Ubisoft Connect, log into a separate account, and sit through yet another splash screen. That frustration may soon be a thing of the past. A new Steam tool currently being tested with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown allows the acclaimed Metroidvania to run entirely without the Ubisoft Connect launcher — and it could be the first step toward a launcher-free future for the publisher’s entire PC catalog.
What’s Being Tested in Prince of Persia The Lost Crown?
According to a report by PCGamesN, Ubisoft is quietly trialing a new Steam-based tool that removes the mandatory Ubisoft Connect integration from Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Players who take part in the test can launch the game directly from Steam, skipping the extra launcher, the separate login prompt, and the additional background processes that come with it.
The choice of game for this experiment makes sense. The Lost Crown is a relatively lightweight single-player experience — no online co-op, no competitive multiplayer, and no features that absolutely require Ubisoft’s ecosystem. In other words, it’s the perfect low-risk testing ground before any wider rollout.
Why PC Gamers Have Long Disliked Ubisoft Connect
The resentment toward Ubisoft Connect isn’t just about inconvenience. Since its predecessors, Uplay and Ubisoft Game Launcher, the platform has been criticized for forced account creation, occasional server hiccups blocking access to offline games, pop-ups on every launch, and general performance overhead. Some Ubisoft releases on Steam have even been review bombed purely because of the launcher requirement rather than the games themselves.
A Slowly Thawing Relationship Between Ubisoft and Steam
This test is even more significant when you consider the history. Ubisoft largely stepped away from Steam around 2019, releasing new PC titles through the Epic Games Store and its own platform. The publisher only began returning in 2022 with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and recent releases like Assassin’s Creed Shadows have arrived day one on Steam — though still shackled to Connect.
A tool that makes Ubisoft Connect optional, or removes it entirely, would represent the biggest olive branch yet to Steam players who simply want to buy, download, and play without friction.
What This Could Mean for the Future of Ubisoft on PC
If the Prince of Persia experiment proves successful, the obvious next step would be extending the launcher-free approach to other single-player Ubisoft games on Steam. It also aligns with a broader industry trend: publishers are increasingly realizing that every additional barrier between a customer and their game is a potential lost sale.
There’s a reasonable middle ground, too. Ubisoft may keep Connect as an optional layer for unlockable rewards, cross-progression, and challenges, rather than a mandatory gate. Even that compromise would dramatically improve the player experience while letting Ubisoft retain its ecosystem perks.
Of course, nothing is confirmed yet — this remains a test, and Ubisoft hasn’t announced plans for its full library. But the direction of travel is encouraging, and it suggests someone at the company is finally listening to PC players.
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Source: PCGamesN