The Epic Games Store launched one year ago this month, alongside three brand-new games – the first titles in the company’s controversial strategy of offering timed exclusives. If you’ve been holding out for any Epic exclusives to hit other platforms, this is a big week. Time is up for the first wave of timed exclusives.
Ashen, an indie Dark Souls-alike with a lovely style, launched on Steam and GOG today. Both versions are available at a 20% launch discount, which brings the price down to $31.99 / £24.79 / €27.19 – though there’s no such discount on the Epic version right now. The game’s first (and only) DLC, Nightstorm Isle, is also available on both platforms after its original launch on Epic in September.
On December 10, Hades – a mythology-themed roguelike brawler from the makers of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre – will hit Steam. The game’s gotten some substantial updates since its early launch on Epic, but will still be marked as an Early Access title, and the full launch is scheduled for the “second half of 2020.” No word yet on price or discounts, but Hades is currently $24.99 USD on Epic.
Hello Neighbor: Hide and Seek also hits Steam on December 10. The colourful horror prequel got a much more mixed response than Epic’s other two launch exclusives, but you should expect to see it for around $29.99 USD.
Even if none of these three titles are for you, this does mean that the clock is ticking on the remainder of Epic’s exclusive titles. We haven’t gotten the details on every timed exclusivity window, most games have been locked up for either six months or one year.
Epic has pursued some excellent titles among its exclusive line-up, from excellent indies like Outer Wilds to high-profile triple-A games like Borderlands 3 – plus whatever other upcoming PC games get the deal. If you’ve been depriving yourself of any of these games, you’re about to have a lot to catch up on.