CI Games terminated its Epic Games Store exclusivity agreement on April 14, 2026. Lords of the Fallen 2 is now free to launch on Steam and other PC storefronts alongside its console release later this year.
CI Games has officially ended its Epic Games Store exclusivity agreement for Lords of the Fallen 2. The Warsaw-based developer disclosed on May 18, 2026 that it signed a Separation Agreement with Epic Games on April 14, 2026, releasing the upcoming soulslike sequel from all obligations under the original publishing deal. The move clears the way for Lords of the Fallen 2 to launch on Steam and other PC storefronts when it releases later this year.
What Was the Original Epic Deal?
In June 2024, CI Games entered into a binding publishing agreement that granted Epic Games “exclusive worldwide distribution rights” for the PC version of Lords of the Fallen 2 across the “entire product life cycle.” This was not a timed exclusive: Epic held permanent rights to be the sole PC storefront for the game. CEO Marek Tymiński publicly defended the deal in March 2025, calling Epic “an incredible partner” and stating that the collaboration was helping CI Games make a better game.
The arrangement drew immediate backlash from the PC gaming community, particularly Steam users. Threads on the Steam Community forums described the decision as a “slap in the face” to players who had supported the original Lords of the Fallen through its rocky 2023 launch. Many argued that Epic Store exclusivity would severely limit the sequel’s reach, since the soulslike community is overwhelmingly concentrated on Steam.
How the Breakup Happened
The Separation Agreement was finalized on April 14, 2026, but CI Games delayed the public announcement by over a month. The official filing stated that “immediate disclosure could have prejudiced the Company’s legitimate interests” and that the agreement was “conditional in nature,” requiring CI Games to keep it under wraps until it took full effect. The document was published on May 18 through a financial disclosure to the Warsaw Stock Exchange, reported by Polish outlet Bankier.
Neither CI Games nor Epic Games provided an official reason for terminating the deal. However, the financial trail tells a compelling story. In early 2026, CI Games shareholders approved a capital raise of approximately $28 million via new share issuance. Analysts widely speculated the funds were earmarked to buy back the PC exclusivity rights from Epic. Tymiński effectively confirmed this when he retweeted the speculation, commenting: “Shareholder win-win is coming, fueling Lords 2’s bold vision for max impact.”
Why Spend $28 Million to Leave Epic?
The answer comes down to projected sales numbers. The original Lords of the Fallen sold 2.5 million copies worldwide and only recently became profitable for CI Games, recouping its $80 million combined development, marketing, and physical production budget. With the sequel, CI Games clearly believes Steam distribution will generate enough additional revenue to justify spending roughly $28 million just to exit the exclusivity contract.
The confidence is not unfounded. Data consistently shows that the vast majority of PC game sales happen through Steam. Many PC gamers use the Epic Games Store primarily for free game giveaways and Fortnite, making store exclusivity a significant barrier for any title targeting a niche but dedicated audience like soulslike fans. CI Games’ stock rose approximately 5% following the announcement, signaling investor approval of the strategic pivot.
What Tymiński Said About the Split
On May 19, 2026, Tymiński posted an official statement on X thanking Epic for its role during a difficult period. “CI Games faced challenging market conditions in 2023 and 2024, and Epic Games provided significant funding and strategic support that helped ensure Lords of the Fallen II could fully realise its ambitions,” he wrote. He acknowledged that the partnership enabled CI Games to “meaningfully expand upon community feedback” and advance the sequel across gameplay, technical performance, world design, and online functionality.
Crucially, he confirmed that the game will now come to “other PC storefronts” at launch. While he did not name Steam explicitly, the implication is unmistakable. Lords of the Fallen 2 will remain available on the Epic Games Store, but it will no longer be exclusive to it.
What Stays the Same with Epic?
The Separation Agreement applies exclusively to the storefront publishing deal. All other business relationships between CI Games and Epic remain intact. Lords of the Fallen 2 continues to be developed on Unreal Engine 5. Epic Online Services, Epic Account Services, and CI Games’ involvement in the Fortnite ecosystem are all governed by separate agreements and are unaffected. This is a distribution divorce, not a technology breakup.
When Does Lords of the Fallen 2 Release?
CI Games has confirmed a 2026 launch window for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but no specific date has been announced. A lead game systems designer at CI Games briefly listed “August 2026” as the expected release window in his online portfolio before removing it. That leak, combined with the upcoming Summer Game Fest showcase on June 5, has fueled widespread expectation that an official date reveal and Steam page launch could happen very soon.
No Steam listing exists yet. CI Games’ Steam publisher page currently shows 28 titles with no hidden entries, so the store page has not been created or is still private.
What We Know About the Game Itself
Lords of the Fallen II was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live in August 2025 and is being developed by Hexworks, CI Games’ internal studio. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the sequel promises a significantly darker and larger experience than its predecessor. The game world expands beyond Mournstead into entirely new countries, each controlled by distinct factions with unique enemies, biomes, and combat styles.
Combat is being overhauled with new character animations, a more grounded feel, additional weapon types including the scythe, and an execution system. A dedicated jump and jump attack mechanic are being added. The magic system is being reworked while preserving the original’s one-button spell transition. The Umbral realm, previously accessed through a lamp, is now described as being part of the player and can be wielded physically.
Full shared-progression co-op will accompany the single-player campaign. PLAION has been confirmed as the global physical distribution partner, leveraging its retail infrastructure to bring the game to stores worldwide.
What This Means for the PC Market
Epic Games Store exclusivity deals have become increasingly controversial and appear to be declining in frequency. CI Games’ decision to spend a substantial sum to exit such a deal sends a clear signal: for games targeting dedicated PC communities, Steam access is not optional. It is a commercial necessity.
The soulslike genre in particular has its PC ecosystem almost entirely rooted in Steam. Elden Ring, the Dark Souls trilogy, Sekiro, Lies of P, and the original Lords of the Fallen all live on Steam. Cutting a soulslike sequel off from that ecosystem carried a real risk of limiting its audience at a time when CI Games needed the sequel to outperform the original significantly.
Whether other developers with existing Epic exclusivity deals will follow CI Games’ example remains to be seen, but the market reaction suggests this was viewed as the right call.
Key Questions Players Are Asking
Will Lords of the Fallen 2 have a Steam page soon? No Steam listing is live yet, but an announcement at Summer Game Fest on June 5 is widely anticipated. The dissolution of the Epic deal removes the legal obstacle, so it is now a matter of timing.
Is Lords of the Fallen 2 leaving the Epic Games Store? No. The game will still be sold on the Epic Games Store. The change is that it will no longer be exclusive to Epic. Other storefronts, most importantly Steam, can now carry the game at launch.
Could GOG or other stores get it too? Tymiński’s statement referred to “other PC storefronts” without naming them specifically. While Steam is the obvious priority, the phrasing does not rule out GOG or other platforms.
Are console versions affected? No. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S releases were always planned independently and are unaffected by this PC-only distribution change.
How much did CI Games pay to exit the deal? The exact figure has not been disclosed. The $28 million capital raise approved by shareholders is widely believed to have funded the buyout, but CI Games has not confirmed the precise cost of the Separation Agreement.
What happened to Epic’s investment in the game? Tymiński acknowledged that Epic provided “significant funding and strategic support” during development. The technical partnership through Unreal Engine 5 and Epic’s online services continues. Only the storefront exclusivity has ended.
Lords of the Fallen 2 is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched soulslike releases of 2026. For more gaming news and a marketplace for Epic Games accounts and other digital gaming products, visit GamerMarkt.
