Phoenix Point, which I think we’ll be introducing as “the spiritual successor to X-Com from co-designer Julian Gollop” is set to launch this year – but it won’t be on the originally announced platforms of Steam and GOG. Instead, Phoenix Point joins the growing list of timed Epic Games store exclusives like Metro Exodus.
The PC version of Phoenix Point will be available exclusively on the Epic store for one year, at which point it’ll be available on other stores including Steam and GOG. Early backers who selected one of those two versions will still get an Epic key when the game launches, and they’ll receive the other store key when the exclusivity period is up.
“We recognize that some of you may have backed or pre-ordered Phoenix Point with an expectation of the platform you’d be able to play it on,” Gollop writes in the announcement, “and that this update changes that. If for any reason you are not happy with this change, we will be happy to offer you a full refund and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
All DLC released for the game in its first year will be offered for free to anyone who has purchased it up until today. In the FAQ, the developers say that part of the reason they took the exclusivity agreement is because it “gives us the freedom to commit to more Phoenix Point content once the game has been released.”
The studio also says “While we are unable to go into details on the specifics of our agreement with Epic Games, we really do believe that it is in the best interests of our studio, Phoenix Point and our future titles. It gives us the security not only to continue to support Phoenix Point long into the future but also to bring you other exciting titles once Phoenix Point is completed.”
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As you’ve probably come to expect after all the previous Epic exclusivity announcements, fans have been responding negatively to the news, and comments sections everywhere from the video above to the subreddit are currently awash with players upset about the choice. The developers will host an AMA tomorrow on the Phoenix Point subreddit to address those concerns.