Ubisoft is beginning to remove the requirement for its standalone Ubisoft Connect PC launcher from supported games on Steam, starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. The company is testing a new Ubisoft Connect Services tool that allows features such as cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges and rewards to work without requiring the separate launcher to be installed or opened. The change is being introduced gradually, with Ubisoft saying the service will roll out to more games on Steam over time.
For players, that means launching a supported Ubisoft title through Steam should no longer require a second application to open alongside it. Ubisoft Connect itself is not being discontinued, however. The change concerns how its services are delivered to Steam players rather than the removal of Ubisoft accounts or features.
Ubisoft Starts With Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The first game to receive the new system is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Ubisoft describes it as a test of Ubisoft Connect Services on Steam, keeping existing features available without the full PC launcher. The distinction between Ubisoft Connect and the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher is important. Ubisoft is not shutting down the service that handles account-related features. Instead, the company is changing how those services are delivered when its games are purchased and played through Steam.
Under the new system, features including cross-progression, cross-play, player safety, challenges and rewards can remain available without the standalone PC application. That means players can still access Ubisoft-related functionality while avoiding an additional launcher during the game’s startup process. The rollout will also take place over time rather than across Ubisoft’s entire Steam catalog at once. Ubisoft said Ubisoft Connect Services will progressively expand to more games on Steam, making The Lost Crown the starting point for the change rather than the end of it. The SteamDB listing provides another indication that Ubisoft is changing how its services are distributed through Steam rather than simply removing them.
🔥 BUENÍSIMA NOTICIA, MUERE EL UBISOFT CONNECT‼️
— eXtas1s 🎮 Noticias & Rumores (@eXtas1stv) September 10, 2026
Ubisoft confirma que progresivamente eliminará el requisito de su launcher en Steam.
Ya no vas a necesitar tener instalado su launcher Ubisoft Connect para ejecutar sus juegos en Steam. pic.twitter.com/NWhjAGclV5
For players who have previously encountered Ubisoft’s separate launcher when starting a game purchased through Steam, the difference is mainly in the launch process. Instead of Steam handing off to a separate Ubisoft application, supported titles can use Ubisoft’s services through the Steam environment. That does not mean every Ubisoft game will immediately work this way. The company has described the current version as an initial step and said it will continue developing the service before expanding it to additional titles. The wording of the post is more definitive than Ubisoft’s own announcement, however, which describes a gradual rollout of Ubisoft Connect Services rather than the end of Ubisoft Connect itself.
Why Steam Players Have Wanted The Extra Launcher Removed
The change addresses a long-running point of friction for some Steam users. When Ubisoft games required Connect on PC, players buying a title through Steam could encounter an additional step between clicking the Play button and reaching the game. Steam would start the title, but Ubisoft Connect could then open separately for account authentication and other services. That arrangement has generated complaints among players who prefer to keep their Steam library and game launches within one application. Discussions on the Steam Community have included reports of account-linking and launcher issues involving Ubisoft games, showing that the extra software has sometimes been more than a minor inconvenience.
The reaction to Ubisoft’s latest change has been notably positive in some parts of the Steam community. The Hidden One responded to the announcement by writing that they “never thought” they would see the Ubisoft client become unnecessary on Steam.
Ubisoft client will be no longer needed on Steam.
— The Hidden One (@TheHiddenOneAC) September 10, 2026
I never thought i'd see the day. Evil is defeated. pic.twitter.com/CV0XPDYuRu
Some coverage has described this as the end of Ubisoft Connect on Steam. Ubisoft’s announcement is narrower, describing a gradual rollout of Ubisoft Connect Services while the account system remains.
After years, Ubisoft is finally allowing Steam gamers remove its slop launcher “ubisoft connect” after installing games
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) September 10, 2026
SteamDB now shows Ubisoft Connect being delivered as a separate Steam depot, with recent updates affecting a large number of Ubisoft titles.
This is the kind… pic.twitter.com/MhBCNLmmFO
The long-running complaint was not about Ubisoft’s account services but about needing a second application to play a game bought on Steam. Ubisoft’s approach leaves its account infrastructure and related features in place while removing the standalone launcher from the process for supported games. That makes the announcement narrower than some of the reactions on social media suggest. For now, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first example of the new system. Ubisoft’s planned expansion to additional Steam titles will determine how broadly the company applies the approach and whether other games can offer the same features without requiring Ubisoft Connect’s separate PC launcher.
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