Ubisoft may be preparing to put an end to a habit PC players have complained about for years: the company is working on a new tool that would allow Ubisoft games purchased on Steam to be played without installing the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher. The goal is to preserve the game's core features while eliminating the need to install a second application on the player's computer. The change is currently being tested in a single game, but if it works, it could roll out to Ubisoft's entire Steam catalog. For many players, that would mean the "run two programs before opening a game" habit becomes a thing of the past.
What Exactly Does the New Tool Provide?
The core point is this: the tool Ubisoft is testing aims to deliver services that are normally accessible only through the Connect launcher directly inside the Steam client. These include features players frequently use, such as progression transfer, cross-platform play, player safety tools, quests, and rewards. In other words, when you launch the game from Steam, these services will continue running in the background, but a separate launcher window will not appear on your screen. Ubisoft describes this first version as "the first step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience" on Steam.
The text shared by the company shows that this is not a temporary patch but a phased transformation plan. According to the statement, Ubisoft will continue improving these services over time and aims to make the Steam-side experience as seamless as possible while offering the features players use and expect. The most striking part of the plan is its scope: the tool is intended to gradually expand to other Ubisoft games on Steam in the future. That wording points to a structural change far larger than a technical experiment for a single game.
Where Did the Announcement Come From and Why Was It So Quiet?
The interesting part of this news is that it emerged not through an official press release but directly through an announcement text on Steam. When first shared, the content was visible only to users who had purchased the game on Steam; it then began spreading through screenshots shared on Reddit. According to the source, Ubisoft confirmed the announcement was real and moved the text to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's regular Steam news feed. It thus became official content anyone can read; you can reach the relevant announcement from the Steam news page.
That a company did not turn such a convenience for its own product into a major announcement is a separate point of debate. After all, we are talking about something players have wanted for years, and it looks like an easy reputation win. Nevertheless, the fact that the news began quietly, with a note visible only to those who owned the game, suggests Ubisoft does not yet see the matter as a "settled gain." Indeed, the text clearly states that the tool is in the trial phase and will be improved over time.
Launcher Fatigue: The Problem Players Have Described for Years
What makes this news important is less the technical detail than the debate behind it. In recent years, many publishers have forced players who buy their games from their own store or other platforms to install an additional launcher. A player buys a game on Steam, but to open it they have to download another company's app, sign in, and wait for its updates. This chain can turn even a short gaming session into an unnecessary chore.
The problem is not just a few extra clicks. Additional launchers consume more resources on the computer, background services can affect performance, and sometimes they can conflict with the game itself. Add to that annoying details such as account linking, login problems, and dropped connections. That is why some players think twice before buying titles that require an extra launcher. This is exactly where the value of the tool Ubisoft is testing comes in: the services the game offers do not disappear; only the layer in between is removed.
What Does the Tool Change Technically, and What Does It Not Change?
According to Ubisoft's statement, the goal is not to remove the services themselves but to deliver them through a different channel. In other words, the functions of the Connect ecosystem are being moved into the Steam client; the player does not have to install and open a separate application. It is important to understand this distinction clearly, because some players may interpret this kind of news as "Ubisoft Connect is being completely removed." In the scenario described, however, the account system, cloud saves, and social features continue to work.
- Progression transfer: Keeping saves synchronized across different platforms.
- Cross-platform play: Allowing players to play simultaneously with friends on different devices.
- Player safety tools: Monitoring suspicious activity and protecting accounts.
- Quests and rewards: Tracking in-game events, achievements, and rewards.
These items form the invisible but important infrastructure of playing a game on PC. If Ubisoft succeeds in moving these services into Steam, what changes for the player can be summarized technically as a lot, but in feel as a single sentence: fewer windows, less waiting, faster entry into the game.
Why Is the Test Being Conducted on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown?
Ubisoft's choice of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for the test is no coincidence. The game came to Steam last August and was then supported with a story expansion called Mask of Darkness. So it is both relatively new and actively updated on a technical level. Such a game has both enough of a user base and a current infrastructure to test a new service layer.
On the other hand, the game's own future is full of uncertainties. After rumors of a sequel that surfaced at one point, Ubisoft confirmed that a large portion of the team had been shifted to other projects. This suggests that The Lost Crown has already begun to turn into a "closed file." So the picture emerges in which, if an experiment on this game goes wrong, the risk remains limited, while if it succeeds, the knowledge gained can be applied to the entire catalog. A logical choice for a test.
What Will Change in Practice for Players?
It would be wrong to expect a major revolution in the short term. The tool is currently being tested in a single game, in its first version, and by Ubisoft's own account it will be refined over time. Still, the signal from this trial is important: the publisher has acknowledged the point players complain about most and has begun allocating resources to solve it. This could create pressure for other publishers in the industry to take similar steps.
In the medium term, the scenario could work like this: as the tool expands to other Ubisoft games, many titles in players' libraries will start opening with a single click. That means concrete relief for users who are short on disk space, who do not want to keep re-entering their login details, or who are tired of the game-launch process taking longer. It also removes a barrier for new players: someone who wants to try a game will not first have to learn a second platform's account system.
What Should Be Expected Next?
At this point, the most realistic approach is cautious optimism. Ubisoft confirmed the announcement and moved the text to a permanent news feed, so a step back is not expected. However, how smoothly the tool works, which services are transferred completely, and when it will reach a broader audience remain open questions. In particular, getting cloud-dependent features such as progression transfer and cross-platform play to work with the same reliability through the Steam client will be the most technically challenging part.
The most useful thing users can do during this process is share their own experiences: feedback such as which functions the tool gets stuck on and in which situations users need to return to the old launcher directly affects the development process. Ubisoft's "gradual rollout" plan also appears to depend largely on this feedback. In short, this news is much more than a single launcher window closing: it is a sign that a habit that has lasted for years in PC gaming is beginning to change in players' favor. If the trial succeeds, the impact of this quiet step could exceed Ubisoft's own boundaries.