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Ubisoft is changing how some of its PC games connect to its online services on Steam. The company is testing Ubisoft Connect Services, a Steam-integrated tool designed to preserve features such as cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges and rewards without requiring the separate Ubisoft Connect PC launcher to be installed or launched. The first game to receive the new system is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Ubisoft describes this as an initial test and says the service will progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam in the future.

What Ubisoft Connect Services Changes

For years, buying a Ubisoft game through Steam could still mean dealing with another desktop application before getting into the game. The new approach changes that requirement for supported titles by moving the necessary Ubisoft services into a lighter Steam-integrated tool.

For Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Ubisoft says players can continue using features including cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges and rewards without installing or launching the full Ubisoft Connect PC launcher. The change is therefore less about removing Ubisoft’s online ecosystem and more about removing the separate launcher layer between Steam and those services. The official post itself confirms the central claims at lines 23–31.

Ubisoft Connect Is Not Going Away

The change should not be interpreted as the shutdown of Ubisoft Connect. Ubisoft is testing a different way of delivering its services to Steam players, while the company’s broader Connect ecosystem continues to provide account-linked features across its games and platforms. It is also too early to say that every Ubisoft game on Steam will immediately become launcher-free. Ubisoft has only identified Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown as the starting point and said that Connect Services will progressively expand to additional Steam games. No complete list of upcoming supported titles or a fixed rollout schedule has been announced.

Why This Matters for Steam Players

The biggest benefit is a simpler launch process. Instead of opening Steam and then being pushed into a separate Ubisoft application, supported games can retain the Ubisoft services they need through the new Steam-based system. That could be particularly relevant for players who prefer keeping their PC libraries and launch processes inside Steam.

Third-party launchers have also created additional compatibility and maintenance friction for some Linux and SteamOS users, making Ubisoft’s move potentially significant for Steam Deck and other SteamOS devices. GamingOnLinux specifically highlighted the long-standing friction that Ubisoft’s launcher could create for Linux and SteamOS players.

Prince of Persia Starts the Test

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first confirmed game using Ubisoft Connect Services. The game’s Steam page has previously included Ubisoft Connect- requirements, making the new implementation a notable change to its PC experience. The change also gives Ubisoft a controlled environment to test how its account services operate when the standalone launcher is removed from the launch process. If the system works as intended, the company can gradually bring the same approach to more games without abandoning the features tied to Ubisoft accounts.

A Different Approach to PC Distribution

Ubisoft’s move reflects a broader issue with PC gaming: players increasingly expect the storefront where they purchased a game to provide a straightforward route into it. Additional publisher launchers can add another login, update process and piece of software between the player and the game.

This does not mean publishers have to abandon their own online services. Ubisoft’s experiment shows another possibility: keep the account, progression, rewards and safety infrastructure while allowing Steam to handle more of the actual launch experience.

TechGenyz previously covered the Steam arrival of The Division Resurgence, another Ubisoft title that brought the publisher’s PC distribution strategy into focus.

What Happens Next

Ubisoft has not announced which game will receive Ubisoft Connect Services next. The company has only said that the system will progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam. That makes the current rollout more of a test than a finished replacement for Ubisoft Connect on PC. If Ubisoft expands it successfully, however, players could eventually see fewer separate launcher requirements across the publisher’s Steam catalogue.

Conclusion

Ubisoft is not shutting down Connect. Instead, it is testing whether its services can work on Steam without forcing players to launch the full Ubisoft Connect PC app. Starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the experiment could mark a meaningful shift toward simpler Ubisoft game launches on PC.

(Source)