Reception to Earth Defense Force 6, the latest installment in the gory sci-fi shooter series, has been generally positive. However, many PC users expressed dissatisfaction with the requirement to sign in with an Epic Games account to play online co-op.
Good news for those players: developer Sandlot released a small update on Steam that eliminated this requirement. Now, players can enjoy online missions without the need for an Epic Games account. The update states, “This application has been modified so that you can play online missions without signing into your Epic Games Account.”
Players who have linked their Epic and Steam accounts can easily unlink them on the Epic Games website by following these steps.
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This is just the latest example of a video game team removing a secondary account requirement for a PC game. This practice has fallen out of favor with players and the industry, with instances of players review-bombing games in protest. For example, the PlayStation Network account requirement for recent PlayStation PC releases like Helldivers 2 sparked controversy. Even the developers at Arrowhead Game Studios expressed their disagreement with the requirement. While the issue arose some time after the game’s release, the backlash prompted PlayStation to reverse the decision.
Similar criticism has been directed at the God of War Ragnarok PC port, which also required a PSN account initially. Despite initially mixed reviews on Steam, the game has now achieved a “Mostly Positive” rating. A community member even developed a mod to bypass the account requirement, although it has since been removed.
Discussions regarding account or launcher requirements have gained prominence. Ubisoft recently announced a return to releasing games on Steam on launch day after years of using its own platform. Additionally, The Dragon Age: The Veilguard will launch natively on Steam, enhancing the experience of playing on Steam and, importantly, on the Steam Deck.
