PC players have had one long-standing complaint: having to put up with not one program to launch a game, but two separate programs that trigger each other. Ubisoft has now answered that complaint with a concrete step for the first time and announced that it will remove the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher requirement from its games sold on Steam. The change is coming into effect first with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. According to the publisher's own statement, this is the first step toward a 'smoother and simpler launch experience' on Steam. So what exactly does this mean, and will the player's daily routine really change?
How Did the Two-Layer Launch Habit Get to This Point?
When you buy a Ubisoft game on Steam, something you notice quickly is this: the game doesn't come alone. Along with the installation, a second application settles onto your system, and every time you launch the game, that application opens on its own as well. This structure doesn't just mean an extra click; it comes back as an additional process running in the background, a sign-in screen, a separate update cycle, and sometimes a 'you can't open the game without signing in' warning. At a moment when your internet connection drops, or when you want to play in offline mode, this second layer becomes far more annoying. On top of that, even if you want to launch the game directly from Steam, there is usually no official way to completely disable the launcher that gets in the way. In short, the problem isn't the existence of the second application; it's that it's mandatory.
This situation isn't just a matter of comfort for players. Two applications sharing system resources can lengthen loading times, especially on low-spec machines. It also makes it harder to track where information such as account management, friend lists, and cloud saves is kept. That's why the question 'why two launchers?' has been one of the most repeated topics in forums and community posts for years. Ubisoft's new move looks like an answer given to exactly this question.
What Exactly Does Ubisoft Connect Do?
Ubisoft Connect is an application formerly known as Uplay that serves as both a store and a launcher for the company's games. When you launch a Ubisoft game you own on Steam or the Epic Games Store, this application automatically kicks in. It houses features players genuinely use, such as a reward system, achievements, a friend list, and cross-platform progression. So the problem isn't the services the application offers; it's the requirement that the application be installed and open on your computer in order to access those services. Ubisoft's new approach focuses on exactly this point: keep the services, remove the intermediary.
Understanding this distinction matters, because some players don't want to lose Ubisoft Connect entirely. Features such as rewards, weekly challenges, and cross-platform progression transfer have become part of the gaming experience for many people. So the intended scenario isn't to give up these features, but to run them in the background in a way that doesn't bother the player.
The New Tool: Ubisoft Connect Services Steam Tool
Ubisoft announced its plan only through a Steam post visible to owners of the game; according to the information shared, the company is working on a new tool called 'Ubisoft Connect Services Steam Tool.' The tool's core promise is quite clear: the features Connect offers will keep working, but the PC launcher won't need to be installed or launched for that. In other words, when the player launches the game from Steam, no second window will get in the way. According to Ubisoft, this first version will both be improved over time and gradually rolled out to other Ubisoft games on Steam. In the company's words, the goal is to make the Steam experience as seamless as possible while continuing to offer the features players use and expect.
The main features said to be preserved with the tool are these:
- Cross-progression: Keeping saves on different devices compatible with one another.
- Cross-play: Letting players on different systems meet in the same game.
- Rewards and achievements: The reward system tied to Ubisoft Connect continuing to work.
- Launcher independence: Not requiring the PC launcher to be installed or open for these features.
The most critical detail here is that the tool is described as a 'lightweight layer.' If the application really runs quietly in the background and doesn't throw a window in the player's face, then in practice the feeling of a second launcher will largely disappear. Of course, we'll only be able to see how smoothly this works once it spreads to a broader range of games.
Why Is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown First in Line?
Ubisoft's choice of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for the test doesn't look like a coincidence. Besides PC, the game is available on a wide list of platforms including Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S. Across such a scattered range of devices, features like cross-progression and cross-play mean far more to players than a launcher does. So one of the scenarios where the new tool will be most useful is precisely the structure this game has. Testing with a single game is also a low-risk path for the publisher: if a problem arises, the affected audience stays limited, and if the system works smoothly, it creates a strong reference for moving on to other games.
There's a point usually overlooked in transitions like this: the game's own technical foundation. In action-adventure and metroidvania genres, a progression save represents an accumulation into which the player has poured hours. Carrying that save seamlessly between devices is an element that increases the game's value regardless of the launcher's existence. Ubisoft preserving exactly this feature while removing the intermediary can be read as a more balanced choice, far from an 'all or nothing' approach.
How Do Other Publishers Handle This?
The double launcher problem isn't unique to Ubisoft, but not every publisher takes an equally harsh approach. Looking at common practice in the industry, some companies don't attach their own launchers to all the games they sell on Steam. Instead, a lighter and nearly invisible version runs alongside the game; the player often doesn't even notice this layer exists. EA is one of the publishers frequently cited as an example here: the company doesn't attach its own launcher to all of its games on Steam. So Ubisoft's new move means approaching the already-valid, less intrusive standard rather than inventing something brand new for the industry. That makes the change more meaningful for players: what's being demanded isn't an unusual privilege, but a common practice.
There are commercial and technical reasons behind publishers insisting on their own launchers too. Their own stores, their own reward systems, and their own player data carry strategic value for companies. But defending these goals with a screen that forces the player to sign in every single time isn't sustainable. Ubisoft's new tool can be seen as an effort to strike that balance more gracefully.
Will the Account Linking Requirement Go Away?
This is the most uncertain topic in the information disclosed: it's not clear whether the new tool will require future buyers of the game to link their Ubisoft account to Steam. Today, this linking is mandatory along with Ubisoft Connect. The tool disabling the launcher doesn't mean the account linking requirement will automatically disappear too. So to say anything definitive on this, it's necessary to wait for additional statements the company will make going forward.
Similarly, it hasn't been announced whether the change will cover versions played through the Epic Games Store. Today, Ubisoft Connect kicks in for games launched through both Steam and Epic; however, the announcement made focuses specifically on the Steam experience. Which games will move to the new tool, in what order, and how the schedule will work haven't been shared yet either. These uncertainties show that this news should be read not as a 'completely over' announcement, but as a beginning.
What Does This Mean for Players?
On a practical level, the gain is quite concrete: shorter launch times, fewer windows, fewer sign-in screens, and a cleaner game library. Since managing a second launcher is much more cumbersome especially on handheld PCs, this kind of change should also be felt on those devices. Also, being able to launch the game directly from the Steam interface with nothing getting in the way creates a noticeable comfort difference in daily use. In the long run, what really matters is that this approach doesn't stay limited to a single game.
Ubisoft's statement that it will 'gradually roll out to more games' shows the process isn't a one-off experiment. Still, in an industry where players are used to waiting, time will tell how quickly announcements turn into implementation. The healthiest thing to do at this point is to follow how the first version on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown works. If the tool really runs quietly and the features continue without issue, this step by Ubisoft could become a reference point for other publishers too.
In summary: Ubisoft has taken its first serious step back on the long-criticized double launcher requirement, but the story is still in its early stages. The picture will be complete once the fate of the account linking requirement, the timeline for moving to other games, and the situation on Epic's side become clear. For now, we have a real step taken in the direction players have wanted for years.