Bethesda Confirms Fallout 76 Won't Be Launching On Steam

While it has long been suspected that Bethesda would be eschewing Valve's Steam platform for their upcoming Fallout game, the publisher has confirmed this fact with PC Gamer. Fallout 76 will be exclusive to Bethesda's own Bethesda.net launcher.

"The PC version of Fallout 76, for both the B.E.T.A. and the launch, will be available only via Bethesda.net, not on Steam," Bethesda told PC Gamer.

While publishers are increasingly seeing the value in having their own launchers and not giving up 30 percent to Steam, few make the leap without having additional hooks beyond just their own games. Those that do tend to also launch on Steam, as well. Recent games like Quake Champions launched first on Bethesda.net, but eventually went to Steam, but Bethesda has not indicated that would be the case here.

Regardless of the details, Bethesda wants PC players to play Fallout 76 on their service. Should other publishers follow suit, the convenience of Steam as an all-in-one library gets called into question.

[Source: PC Gamer]

 

I think Steam could definitely use competition to get them off their laurels, I also don't want sixteen different launchers on my system tray. I imagine publishers will be eager to do this until or unless sales numbers falter from it, though.