With Space Marine 2, a new action game for Warhammer 40k was launched just a few days ago, and the debut has been quite successful. Only a small annoyance clouds the joy over high player numbers and good ratings.
What is this annoyance? Anyone who buys and installs Space Marines 2 on Steam automatically gets the online services from the major competitor Epic Games on their hard drive. This does not sit well with parts of the community for several reasons:
- This automation or compulsion is not communicated or explained on the Steam product page of Space Marines 2. You only notice it when a corresponding window opens during the installation routine.
- Many players want to install as few platforms and launchers as possible and actively avoid the Epic Games Store and its associated launcher.
Additionally, initial explanations from publisher Focus and Epic Games cause confusion instead of providing clarity.
Space Marine 2 is a crisp, bloodily staged action fest – here is the trailer:
Crossplay is to blame
What does the publisher Focus say? In the forum, those responsible explain that they have noticed the concerned feedback regarding the installation of the Epic Online Services. This was implemented to support crossplay between the two platforms Steam and Epic and to be able to synchronize the friends lists of the two stores.
It further states (via community.focus-entmt.com): “Please note, however, that linking your Steam and Epic accounts is not necessary to enjoy the game. These features are completely optional and will not affect your gaming experience in any way.”
What does Epic have to say about it? A representative from Epic Games explained to eurogamer.net:
Cross-play across all PC stores is a requirement of the Epic Games Store for all multiplayer games to ensure players and friends can play together, regardless of where they purchase their games. Developers are free to choose solutions that meet this requirement, including Epic Online Services, which may require a second installation to enable the social overlay (friends lists, cross-platform invitations, etc.) on PC.
According to pcgamer.com, this requirement has been in place since 2023, and according to steamdb.info, nearly 1,000 games on Steam are currently using Epic Online Services – including games like Elden Ring, Palworld, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hades.
If you are now also wondering why pure single-player experiences like Hogwarts Legacy and Hades appear here: The Epic Online Services also handle features like cross-save, anti-cheat, analytics, and more. Additionally, these services can be used when a game utilizes Epic’s Unreal Engine.
Are Epic Online Services now mandatory or not? In response to an angry critique on Steam, a developer from Space Marines 2 finally gives the crucial hint: Those who do not want the Epic services on their computer can uninstall them quite easily through Control Panel / Programs and Features.
However, note that in that case, no crossplay will be possible with players who are not playing on Steam, and this affects not only Space Marines 2 but also all other games that rely on Epic Online Services. If you want to dive deeper, check out dev.epicgames.com.
How well is Space Marines 2 received? On metacritic.com, the action title currently holds a score of 81 to 83 across all platforms, with a user score of 8.0. Steam users have given “Very Positive” in more than 41,000 reviews, with 80 percent positive reviews. The peak on Steam stands at a strong 225,690 concurrent players.
Currently, more than 160,000 Steam users are simultaneously playing Space Marines 2. Of course, this also includes Epic and console players. Note that some buyers are complaining about technical issues and bugs. If you are looking for basic information about the action title from Saber Interactive, be sure to check here: Everything about the release, early access, crossplay, and preload of Space Marine 2.
