The Ubisoft Connect Steam launcher problem, the extra step nobody asked for when firing up an Assassin’s Creed game, might finally be on its way out. Ubisoft has confirmed it is testing a way to let players jump straight into select games from Steam without ever seeing its separate Connect launcher pop up first.
For years, buying a Ubisoft game on Steam has meant installing a second piece of software just to press play. Click the game in Steam, wait for Ubisoft Connect to open, sign in, then finally load the game itself. It is a familiar annoyance for anyone who owns Rainbow Six Siege, Far Cry or an Assassin’s Creed title, and Ubisoft is not the only publisher guilty of it. Electronic Arts and Rockstar both run similar double-launcher setups for their Steam releases.
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What Ubisoft is actually changing
According to a Steam announcement from Ubisoft, the publisher is trialling a new background tool called Ubisoft Connect Services, starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Instead of opening a full launcher window, the service will run quietly in the background, handling things like cross-progression, cross-play, player safety checks, and in-game challenges and rewards.
Ubisoft describes it as an early step rather than a finished solution. “This first version is an initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience on Steam,” the announcement reads, adding that the company plans to keep refining the system “with the goal of delivering the features and services players use and expect while making the Steam experience as seamless as possible.”
That wording suggests players will not lose their Ubisoft Connect account entirely, since the underlying service still needs to verify ownership and sync save data. The likely outcome is something closer to how Diablo 4 works on Battle.net, where an account is still required behind the scenes, but there is no need to manually open a separate application before playing.
Why this launcher fatigue matters
Multiple launchers have become one of PC gaming’s more persistent irritations. Every major publisher wants its own storefront and its own account system, which means a single gaming session can involve juggling Steam, Ubisoft Connect, EA App, Battle.net, and Rockstar Games Launcher depending on what is being played. Each one adds login prompts, update checks and background processes that slow down what should be a simple act of double-clicking a game icon.
Ubisoft Connect has not exactly won fans in that crowded field either. When PC Gamer’s UK team ranked every major PC launcher in 2024, Ubisoft Connect finished near the bottom of the list, criticised largely for stacking extra collectibles, challenges and store promotions onto games that already felt busy enough. Removing the forced launch step does not fix every complaint about the platform, but it does remove the most tedious part of the daily experience for anyone who just wants to load a game quickly.
What still needs an account
- Cross-progression between PC, console and cloud saves
- Cross-play matchmaking in multiplayer titles
- Player safety and anti-cheat systems
- Challenges, rewards and other live-service features
What comes next for Ubisoft games
Ubisoft has confirmed the streamlined approach will expand to other titles over time, though no firm schedule or full list of supported games has been announced yet. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown appears to be a relatively low-risk starting point, given it lacks the heavier live-service elements found in games like Rainbow Six Siege, which relies more heavily on Ubisoft’s backend systems for seasonal content and anti-cheat enforcement.
It is also worth noting this rollout mirrors a broader industry shift. Storefront lock-in and mandatory launchers have drawn growing criticism as players increasingly favour handheld PCs and simplified libraries, a trend visible in how quickly Steam’s verified games library has grown as developers optimise for frictionless play. A cleaner launch process fits neatly into that direction, particularly for anyone running Ubisoft titles on a Steam Deck or similar device where extra background apps eat into limited system resources.
None of this guarantees Ubisoft Connect disappears completely from Steam. The service itself remains active, just less visible, and it is still an open question whether Ubisoft applies the same treatment to online-heavy games with more complex backend requirements. Given how much scrutiny publishers face over live-service infrastructure lately, following a massive Valve Steam leak that exposed unreleased builds and internal tooling, transparency around how these launcher systems actually work has become more relevant to players than ever.
For now, players eager to test the change can grab Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam and see the new flow firsthand. It is a small fix in isolation, but for a platform that also runs efforts like GOG’s own preservation efforts to keep older PC games accessible and easy to run, removing friction from the everyday act of pressing play is a welcome, overdue adjustment from Ubisoft.
