All in all this is just another controversy to add to the list since the exclusivity was revealed, including series creator Dmitry Glukhovsky issuing a statement to fans apologising for the situation and one developer claiming the future PC releases might be put in doubt because of the uproar (something that was later denied). That's not the surprising part though, as another tweet confirmed that pre-load is "not planned" for the Epic Games Store version.Īs you might have expected if you've ever had experience with people on the internet, this wasn't exactly a welcome announcement considering the exclusivity deal (that will last until 2020). In an unexpected turn of events though, the official Metro Twitter account has revealed that pre-load for Steam users will happen, and that fans should stay tuned for more. Late last month we found out that the game would be launching exclusively via the Epic Games Store on PC, although we knew that those who bought it elsewhere like on Steam would still get it on the platform of purchase, including all DLC in the future. We have every intention of continuing this franchise, and a PC version will always be at the heart of our plans.'Īt the time of writing, both Metro 2033 Redux and Metro Last Light Redux had received around 4,000 recent reviews which shifted sentiment from ' Very Positive' to ' Mostly Negative'.Metro Exodus is back in the headlines once again. Our decision to partner with Epic Games was based on the goal of investing in the future of the series and our development partner at 4A Games. The future release strategy of the Metro series lies with Koch Media/Deep Silver. We respectfully ask that any and all valid feedback over this decision is directed at Koch Media/Deep Silver, and not the developers at 4A Games. ' They do reflect the hurt and disappointment of a passionate individual who has seen what was previously nothing but positive goodwill towards his work turn to controversy due to a business decision he had no control over.
' The recent comments made by a member of the 4A Games development team do not reflect Deep Silver’s or 4A Games’ view on the future of the franchise.' ' The recent decision to move Metro Exodus from Steam to the Epic Game Store was made by Koch Media/Deep Silver alone,' the company's statement, published via the TwitLonger service, begins. With that comment having, unsurprisingly, failed to quench the flames, 4A Games and Deep Silver took to social media to clarify that the company has no intention of abandoning the PC. Gamers' ire was further fed when an anonymous 4A Games staffer, posting to a Russian forum, suggested that if gamers boycott the Epic Games Store release of Metro Exodus the company could simply ditch PC as a platform for future titles and develop solely for consoles instead. That sentiment appears to have been shared with a vocal subset of Metro fans, too: Since the shift was announced 4A Games' other titles in the Metro series have been the subject of a coordinated 'review bomb' which has seen their Steam rankings plummet and their community pages filled with negative comments. ' We apologise to Steam customers that were expecting it to be available for sale through the February 15th release date, but we were only recently informed of the decision and given limited time to let everyone know.'
While both publisher Deep Silver and Epic's Tim Sweeney positioned the move as a positive one, Valve claimed otherwise: ' We think the decision to remove the game is unfair to Steam customers, especially after a long pre-sale period,' the company claimed in an update to the game's former Steam page. Much-anticipated post-apocalyptic shooter Metro Exodus got a boost in publicity late last month when it was announced that the game was being removed from Valve's Steam platform to go to Epic's freshly-launched Games Store for a timed exclusive which expires a year from launch. Metro Exodus developer 4A Games and publisher Deep Silver have issued a joint statement claiming that ' a PC version will always be at the heart' of plans for future games, after an anonymous developer suggested that the company might skip the platform in the future following backlash to its shift from Steam to the Epic Games Store.