Lords of the Fallen 2 Drops Epic Games Store Exclusivity, Will Now Launch on Steam
- Sagar Mankar
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Key Highlights:
Lords of the Fallen 2 is no longer an Epic Games Store exclusive
CI Games confirmed it has been released from its obligations with Epic Games
The sequel can now potentially launch on Steam alongside the Epic Games Store
Lords of the Fallen 2 is still targeting a 2026 release window
Console versions of the Soulslike sequel remain unaffected
CI Games has ended its PC exclusivity agreement with Epic Games, meaning Lords of the Fallen 2 will now release on Steam alongside the Epic Games Store.
The news came after CI Games published a Separation Agreement on its official website on May 18, 2026. According to the filing on CI Games' official website, the agreement actually went into effect on April 14, 2026, though its publication was delayed "on the grounds that its immediate disclosure could have prejudiced the Company's legitimate interests." So while the announcement feels fresh, the decision had already been made weeks ago behind closed doors.
This is a pretty significant shift for the game. CI Games had originally locked in an exclusivity deal with Epic back in June 2024, which gave Epic "the exclusive worldwide distribution rights" to Lords of the Fallen 2 on PC. That deal is now done. The Soulslike sequel is free to land on other storefronts, and Steam is the obvious destination given its dominance in the PC gaming market.
The Separation Agreement does not spell out a specific reason for the split. That said, the real-world logic is not hard to follow. A large chunk of PC players simply do not use the Epic Games Store for anything beyond Fortnite and the occasional free game. Releasing exclusively there has historically meant leaving a lot of potential sales on the table, and it appears CI Games came to the same conclusion.
Interestingly, this does contradict something CEO Marek Tyminski said back in December 2025, when he posted on X that the "majority of PC players who want a specific game will buy it on Epic if it's exclusive there." That stance has clearly evolved. Following the announcement, Tyminski addressed the situation directly and thanked Epic for their support during a tough stretch for the studio.
"Like many in the industry, 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. "This partnership enabled CI Games to meaningfully expand upon community feedback from the original Lords of the Fallen, while substantially advancing the sequel across gameplay, technical performance, world design, and online functionality."
So the relationship between the two companies is not entirely over. As per the Separation Agreement, CI Games and Epic will continue working together on matters related to Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services, Epic Account Services, and the Fortnite ecosystem. The business side has changed, but the technical collaboration remains intact.
Lords of the Fallen 2 is still targeting a 2026 release window, and the console versions of the game are completely unaffected by this development. The game was first announced last summer and got a gameplay showcase at The Game Awards 2025.
It is worth noting that Lords of the Fallen 2 is technically the third entry in the series, following a reboot that reset the timeline of the original 2014 game. The 2023 reboot had a rough launch period, which is part of why Epic's investment was so valuable to CI Games at the time. Now, with more storefronts in play, the studio has a much broader runway to reach players when the game finally drops.