Ubisoft Tests Dropping Second Launcher on Steam with Prince of Persia
By testing the removal of its requirement that a separate launcher run before a Ubisoft game starts on Steam, Ubisoft may set a precedent that other major publishers with their own PC launchers would then face pressure to match.
Key Facts
- Ubisoft released an update on September 11, 2026 that removes the requirement to install and launch the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher for the Steam version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
- The new Ubisoft Connect Services Steam tool runs alongside the game and is installed through Steam when the game is installed.
- A Ubisoft account is still required to play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam, and features like cross-progression, cross-play, and rewards remain available.
- Ubisoft describes the change as a test phase and plans to roll it out to other Ubisoft titles on Steam.
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is available on PC via Steam, the Ubisoft Store, and the Epic Games Store, plus Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.
Reporting from 3 sources: Automaton, GameBusiness.jp, Game Spark.
Ubisoft released an update for the Steam version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on September 11, 2026. The update removes the requirement to install and launch the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher before the game starts. A new tool called Ubisoft Connect Services Steam replaces it, and a Ubisoft account is still required. Features such as cross-progression, cross-play, cloud saves, and rewards for UBI account holders continue as before. Ubisoft describes the change as a test phase and plans to roll it out to other Ubisoft titles on Steam. The game is available on PC via Steam, the Ubisoft Store, and the Epic Games Store, plus Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.
Ubisoft's Steam version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown now starts without the Ubisoft Connect PC application. A new component, Ubisoft Connect Services Steam, is installed alongside the game through Steam itself. When the game launches, a window for cloud sync appears in place of the old launcher, and cloud save downloads work. Uninstalling Ubisoft Connect PC entirely still prevents the game from starting, so the app is not fully gone from the process. The update is framed as an ongoing test, with continued improvements and expansion to other Ubisoft games planned.
Ubisoft's history with Steam has been uneven. After partnering with Epic Games in 2019, Ubisoft stopped releasing new titles on Steam, starting with The Division 2 and Anno 1800. Assassin's Creed Valhalla arrived on Steam in 2022, and older titles followed gradually. From Assassin's Creed Shadows in 2025, new Ubisoft games have launched on Steam on release day. Complaints about a second launcher starting with Steam games have appeared on Reddit, where posts welcomed the change, and commenters brought up Electronic Arts titles and the Rockstar Games Launcher. 2K previously removed launcher startup through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.