Ever since EA’s digital storefront launched all the way back in 2011, Origin and Steam have been fierce competitors that stood as two major staples of PC gaming. Much like Valve’s recent competition with the Epic Games Store, EA’s storefront has often been a source for experiences unplayable on Steam, however, it looks as though a newfound partnership between the two gaming giants could be looking to change that.
In a recently announced deal between Origin and Steam, a variety of EA’s previously exclusive titles will be making their way to Valve’s storefront, including one of the company’s biggest new blockbuster experiences. On November 15, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will make its way to Steam alongside its release on Origin, and is available to pre-order as of today.
Although, this wasn’t the only news to accompany the newly announced partnership. While Fallen Order will mark the first of EA’s new offerings to make its way to Steam, it will be followed by The Sims 4, Unravel 2, FIFA 20, Apex Legends, and Battlefield V. These are obviously many of EA’s biggest and best titles, and will no doubt make a lot of fans happy who have been waiting to play these blockbuster titles within Steam’s interface. No date was given for when we can see EA’s extensive back catalogue make the jump over to Steam, but the company promises it’ll be “In the coming months.”
EA goes on to announce that besides some of its games making the leap to Steam’s storefront, there will also be full crossplay, with Origin and Steam users finally being able to jump into multiplayer games together. This obviously marks a big change from the exclusive focus each storefront has maintained so far, but with the likes of Epic Games Store becoming a major player in the digital gaming world, it makes more sense than ever for the two to band together and offer consumers more options in what they play and who they play with.
This will no doubt be a smart move for EA, especially seen as the company is often perceived as one of the gaming industry’s greediest names. Not only does forging a connection with Steam bring their games to a wider audience, but it also shows that it's willing to suspend exclusivity to create a more player-friendly environment. It will no doubt help sell Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which is shaping up to be one of the company’s most exciting titles in years.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order releases on November 15th for PC, PS4, and Xbox One