Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 publisher Focus Entertainment has clarified players do not need to link their Steam account to Epic Games in order to play the game.
When launching the game on Steam, an Epic Online Services client is installed once the game’s EULA (End User Licence Agreement) is accepted. This is to support optional crossplay between players on both platforms and to synchronise friend lists between them, Focus confirmed in a forum post.
“However, please be aware linking your Steam and Epic accounts is not required to enjoy the game,” the company wrote. “These features are entirely optional and will not affect your gameplay experience in any way.”
However, players have since complained of “stealth installation of Epic Online Services” and have, of course, review bombed the game on Steam in protest.
Clearly there’s been a misunderstanding from players through a seeming lack of transparency from the developer. Perhaps they just clicked through the EULA too quickly. As one reddit user wrote, it’s “a touch egregious”.
The EULA itself, from developer Saber, is now standard in games. It seems some players didn’t read it in full.
Space Marine 2 is sitting at 55% on Steam due to stealth installation of Epic Online Services, Saber EULA which makes you acknowledge and consent to the processing and transfer of personal data collection, and bugs.
byu/saltysteve0621 inWarhammer40k
Space Marine 2 follows Earth Defence Force 6, released back in July, which had a similar Epic requirement for crossplay that frustrated players.
Eurogamer has contacted Epic Games for clarification on its client requirements for crossplay.
Perhaps a precedent of sorts was set by Sony at the start of the year, when Helldivers 2 required players link their Steam accounts with PSN. This was overturned due to player backlash, but then put back in place a few months later.
While Space Marine 2 had a “mixed” review shortly after launch, it’s now risen to “mostly positive” as players perhaps understand more of the situation following the comments from Focus.
“Space Marine 2’s campaign is a spectacular and mostly thrilling follow-up to the original, but the game’s grisly combat shines best in its cooperative Operations mode,” reads our Eurogamer Space Marine 2 review.
And if you are experiencing more tangible issues with the game, such as game crashes or controller issues, the Focus forum post provides potential workarounds for each.