User Backlash Mars Earth Defense Force 6 Steam Launch Over Epic Games Account Requirement

The cult classic shooter series makes a return to Steam after a five-year hiatus and promptly faces a storm of negative reviews due to an Epic Games account requirement for online play.

Earth Defense Force 6, the first mainline entry in this beloved bug-blasting series since 2019, recently saw a global launch. However, the Steam version has been met with fierce criticism in the reviews because of the need for an Epic Games account for online play—a detail that was not communicated to players at the start.

With 1,030 reviews on launch day, Earth Defense Force 6 finds itself holding a 'Mostly Negative' rating on Steam. Although a few grievances pertain to the gameplay, the vast majority revolve around the requirement to log into an Epic account to access online features. Although the system requirements now include this stipulation, it wasn't mentioned in the initial hours post-launch.

To enhance crossplay and online functionality, online play mandates signing into an Epic Games account. The developers have apologized for the lack of advance notice, clarifying that signing in to your Epic Games account is required the first time you play online, and usually, subsequent sign-ins are not needed.

Many games utilize Epic Online Services for their multiplayer elements, especially for crossplay, but not all impose the same account requirements as EDF6. A few months ago, a promotional blog detailed the technical reasons behind EDF6’s use of these features, suggesting that Epic’s services greatly simplified the game’s cross-platform functionality.

PC gamers often resent being compelled to log into an external account outside their preferred platform. The intense backlash against Helldivers 2’s PSN requirements earlier this year is a case in point, and many Steam enthusiasts harbor strong negative feelings towards Epic. Whether this uproar will lead to a policy reversal from the EDF developers remains uncertain.

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