➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Ubisoft returns

• 🪓 Ubisoft games are returning to Steam, starting with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

• 🛑 The publisher stopped selling games on Steam in 2019

• 🆚 Instead, Ubisoft sold its games on the Epic Games Store and on its Uplay store

• 🙌 The move will be welcomed by PC players, where Steam is still the most popular digital distribution platform

Ubisoft games are returning to Steam after a three-year hiatus, starting with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on December 6.

The publisher stopped releasing new titles on Valve’s digital storefront in 2019 amid claims its business model was “unrealistic”, but it appears Ubisoft has now changed its stance.

Ubisoft confirmed to Eurogamer that Valhalla and other titles like Anno 1800 and Roller Champions are also on the way to Steam, though no release date was given for the latter two titles.

“We're constantly evaluating how to bring our games to different audiences wherever they are, while providing a consistent player ecosystem through Ubisoft Connect," a Ubisoft spokesperson told Eurogamer. "Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Anno 1800 and Roller Champions are among the Ubisoft titles that will be releasing on Steam.”

Ubisoft’s VP for partnerships and revenue, Chris Early, previously suggested that Valve’s 30% cut of game sales was the reason why the French publisher left Steam behind.

Early told The New York Times: “It’s unrealistic, the current business model they have. It doesn’t reflect where the world is today in terms of game distribution.”

A Ubisoft spokesperson provided further context on the company’s decision back in 2019, saying: “It was a business decision to not put new releases on Steam and focus on the Epic Store and Ubisoft Store. Ubisoft fully supports Epic and their third-party distribution model, which is in the long-term, beneficial for publishers both large and indie and the video games industry. We hope this partnership helps to validate and evolve the model.”

That’s at odds with Epic Games, which takes a 17% cut, and is the reason why Ubisoft has chosen to release its games on Epic’s platform. Ubisoft also has its own digital storefront, Uplay.

It’s difficult to tell why Ubisoft has had a sudden change of heart, as Valve’s policies haven’t changed. That won’t matter to Assassin’s Creed fans, though, as Valhalla is the only game in the series that hasn’t been released on Steam. It may have taken two years, but fans of the series can experience Eivor’s Viking adventure at last.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will receive its last update on December 6, a free epilogue dubbed the Last Chapter. The game has received two years of post-launch support, but Ubisoft’s focus will now shift to Assassin’s Creed Mirage and future projects.

While it shouldn’t take the best GPUs to run Assassin’s Creed Mirage at max settings, we’ve rounded up the latest graphics cards to help you pick the right one for you. If you’re new to PC gaming, check out our “what is a graphics card?” guide as a great starting point.