The first-person shooter “Metro Exodus” is having trouble on PC. The game will not be released on Steam, but only in the Epic Games Store. Players threaten to boycott. A developer says: If the game is boycotted because of Steam, the next Metro will not come to PC anymore.
This is the game in question: Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter with elements of survival and horror. Exodus is the third title in the “Metro” series and takes place in 2036 in a post-apocalyptic future.
The video game series is based on popular Russian novels.
Metro Exodus was revealed at E3 2017 and is now scheduled to be released on February 15 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
#NoSteamNoBuy
This is the background: Originally, the release of Metro Exodus for PC was planned for Steam. But it was suddenly revealed that it would not appear there, but exclusively in the Epic Games Store.
Angry players have since given previous Metro titles negative reviews on Steam, a practice known as review bombing. Additionally, they expressed their anger over the decision on social media.
There was also a call to boycott Metro Exodus and simply not buy it. The hashtag here was “#NoSteamNoBuy.” Players apparently do not want to be forced to use another platform besides Steam.
Developer feels wronged
This is causing a stir now: On Steam and Reddit, a translation of a post by a developer at “4AGames” is circulating. This is the team behind Metro Exodus.
This post was written by the developer “scynet” in the forum of the Russian game site “gameru.net”. There he presents his view on the situation.
The developer says he has observed how it has escalated. The decision to withdraw from Steam was already sharp and new.
Nevertheless, he finds some reactions to be exaggerated – announcements to simply download the game illegally through torrents, for example. Some people who didn’t want to play Metro at all might have just been waiting for an opportunity to vent their hatred.
The developers have worked hard for years and invested a lot in the game to create something special. Certain players think the effort of the developers is not even worth spending a few minutes to install a launcher.
If all PC players now boycott Metro to show the greedy developers, then the next Metro will definitely not be released for PC, if it even comes at all.
The developer then emphasizes again how much energy he and his colleagues invest in the game.
This is how players are reacting: On reddit, the developer’s post is currently a major hot topic.
Among the comments with the most upvotes are these:
- The developer is only worsening the problem with such statements.
- People understand the developer’s frustration, but such statements do not improve the situation.
- Employees should never publicly complain about their customers while using accounts linked to their employer. The “Guild Wars 2” case showed that.
What’s behind this: The problem seems to be that the developer’s longer post, in which he explains his frustration and also expresses understanding, further escalates the conflict.
One could also interpret the developer’s statement simply as a logical consequence: If sales figures are poor, you leave the platform out. However, the statement seems to have additionally poured fuel on the fire.
Update: Now the publisher speaks out:
