Explaining Why Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Is Not Available on Steam
Ubisoft’s highly anticipated Avatar game, set for a December 2023 release, is notably absent from Steam, leading PC gamers to explore alternative platforms to access Pandora. The reason Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora isn’t launching on Steam ties back to Ubisoft’s strategic focus on promoting its own platform, Ubisoft Connect.
Ubisoft, in its effort to strengthen its storefront and launcher, has consciously chosen not to release its latest games, including Avatar, on competitor platforms like Steam. This move allows Ubisoft to retain full revenue, bypassing the need to share profits with Steam or Epic Games. However, this strategy has been met with resistance from players who find the requirement to use Ubisoft Connect limiting, especially compared to the vast options available on Steam and Epic.
In 2019, Ubisoft’s Chris Early provided insight into this decision, citing Epic’s more publisher-friendly revenue sharing model as a key factor. Early stated, “Our shift away from Steam was a business choice, focusing on the Epic Store and Ubisoft Store, supporting Epic’s distribution model which we believe benefits the industry.” Over time, Ubisoft has also reduced its reliance on Epic, concentrating mainly on Ubisoft Connect.
For Steam loyalists hoping to see Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora in their library, a waiting period of approximately a year is likely, following Ubisoft’s pattern of delayed releases on other platforms after initial exclusivity on Connect. However, even when available on Steam, Ubisoft Connect will still be a requirement for gameplay. This reflects the current trend in the gaming industry, where publishers promote their own platforms. Alternatively, console gamers on Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 have the advantage of bypassing these launcher issues altogether.
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