CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski put it plainly on X: "CI Games has regained full open distribution rights for the PC version of Lords of the Fallen." After nearly two years locked into an Epic Games Store exclusivity deal, Lords of the Fallen II is heading to Steam and other PC storefronts when it launches.
Lords of the Fallen II official art
How the exclusivity deal unraveled
The original agreement dates back to June 14, 2024, when CI Games signed a binding term sheet granting Epic "the exclusive worldwide distribution rights" to Lords of the Fallen 2 on PC. At the time, Tyminski was openly enthusiastic about the partnership. In a March 2025 post on X, he wrote that Epic had been "an incredible partner so far" and were "really helping us make a better game in the end."
Fast forward to May 18, 2026, when CI Games quietly posted a Separation Agreement on its official website. The document confirms the deal was formally dissolved on April 14, 2026, though its publication was delayed because, in CI Games' own words, "its immediate disclosure could have prejudiced the Company's legitimate interests." That's a fairly standard legal explanation, but the timing is notable: the split happened over a month before anyone outside the companies knew about it.
What the separation agreement actually says
Here's the thing: the agreement isn't a clean break across the board. CI Games and Epic will continue working together on Unreal Engine integration, Epic online services, Epic account services, and the studio's participation in the Fortnite ecosystem. So the business relationship isn't completely severed, just the exclusivity clause that was keeping Lords of the Fallen 2 off Steam.
The document doesn't spell out a specific reason for the split, but the practical upside for CI Games is hard to miss. Data consistently points to Steam as the dominant PC storefront, with a large portion of Epic Games Store users primarily logging in to play Fortnite or pick up free games rather than purchasing new titles.
The separation agreement went into effect on April 14, 2026, but was only made public on May 18, 2026. CI Games delayed disclosure citing potential harm to its legitimate business interests.
Tyminski's update post on X does address the history honestly. "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. He credited the Epic partnership with allowing CI Games to expand on community feedback from the original 2023 game while pushing forward on gameplay, technical performance, world design, and online functionality.
The awkward contradiction worth noting
Tyminski's past statements make this reversal a little more interesting. As recently as December 18, 2025, 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's a defensible position, and plenty of studios have made it work. But clearly something shifted between that post and April 2026 when the separation was finalized.
The split also raises a question about Epic's prior investment in the project. Tyminski previously confirmed that Epic's funding helped CI Games "maintain full creative control over the game and its IP." What happens to that investment now that the exclusivity is gone isn't addressed in the public-facing documents.
CI Games PC title screen
What this means for players waiting on Steam
For PC players who had already decided to sit out a potential Epic-exclusive launch, this is straightforward good news. Lords of the Fallen 2 will now release across multiple PC storefronts, Steam included. No specific release date has been confirmed yet, so the wait continues, but at least the platform question is settled.
The original Lords of the Fallen launched in 2023 to a mixed reception before CI Games spent considerable time patching and improving it. The sequel has been positioned as a much more ambitious follow-up, and reaching Steam's player base will almost certainly give it a stronger commercial runway than an exclusive launch would have.
Keep an eye on the Lords of the Fallen II guides collection as the release date gets closer, where you'll find strategy resources to help you hit the ground running when the game drops.
