In a surprise announcement, Ubisoft now says that its upcoming online multiplayer shooter The Division 2 will pass on Steam in favor of the newly launched Epic Games Store. This marks a shift from the first game in the series, which launched on and is still available through Steam's storefront. The Division 2 will also be available through Ubisoft's PC storefront in addition to the Epic Games Store when it launches on March 15.

The Division 2's availability on the Epic Games Store marks the young storefront's most significant acquisition yet, but will also prove a test of Epic's unproven services. This is a challenge that Ubisoft recognizes, as Ubisoft VP of Partnerships Chris Early admits:

"We entrust Epic to deliver a smooth journey for our fans, from preordering the game and enjoying our Beta to the launch of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 on March 15. Epic continues to disrupt the videogame industry, and their third party digital distribution model is the latest example, and something Ubisoft wants to support."

Early's mention of Epic's third-party distribution model is likely in reference to the storefront's revenue share of 88%. Steam, in comparison, has historically offered a 70% revenue share, though that's since been improved to up to 80% for games with high sales.

Ubisoft doesn't explicitly clarify that The Division 2 won't eventually be released on Steam, to be fair. There's always a chance that the game's availability on the Epic Games Store is yet another limited-time arrangement, like several other games on the storefront have confirmed. Come launch, however, it appears that only Uplay and the Epic Games Store will offer The Division 2 on PC.

The Division 2's launch marks only the beginning of Ubisoft's partnership with the Epic Games Store, the company confirms. Not only will the platform serve as host for The Division 2's upcoming private beta, access for which is granted through pre-order, but Ubisoft plans to offer "additional select titles" that will be announced later in 2019. Tim Sweeney, Epic's CEO, elaborates on the companies' partnership:

"As long-time fans and partners of Ubisoft, we’re thrilled to bring a range of awesome Ubisoft games to the Epic Games store. We aim to provide the most publisher-friendly store, providing direct access to customers and an 88% revenue split, enabling game creators to further reinvest in building great games."

It seems like The Division 2 will serve as a test of the platform's capabilities, as Ubisoft says it will be integrating "key components of Ubisoft's Uplay and Epic's online services." The results of said integration for The Division 2 may or may not affect Ubisoft's plans for the platform.

Epic's young storefront continues to grow at a rapid pace. Partnerships with indie game publishers Team 17 and Annapurna Interactive, as well as exclusives including Supergiant Games' Hades and the upcoming final season of The Walking Dead, have already left their mark within the PC scene. Ubisoft now partnering with Epic escalates the situation to an entirely different level. Valve is going to have to seriously consider changing its revenue share model lest it loses another major publisher.

The Division 2 releases March 15 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.