According to an official document published on May 18, CI Games has formally dissolved its publishing agreement with Epic Games, ending what was previously an Epic Games Store exclusivity arrangement for Lords of the Fallen II. The change reportedly took effect back in April, with the announcement delayed slightly to avoid any immediate market impact.
What the document actually says
The official filing is clear that the end of the publishing deal does not mean a full break between the two companies. CI Games and Epic will continue collaborating across several areas, including Unreal Engine licensing, Epic online services, and Epic account services. The document states that "each of these relationships will continue and remain governed by their respective separate agreements."
So this is not a scorched-earth split. It is specifically the storefront exclusivity component that has been unwound.
A reversal from the CEO's own words
Here's the thing: this is a notable shift from CI Games founder and CEO Marek Tyminski, who was publicly defending the Epic arrangement as recently as December 2025. On Twitter, he argued that "the majority of PC players who want a specific game will buy it on Epic if it's exclusive there."
That position was always a stretch. Steam holds a commanding share of the PC gaming market, and exclusivity deals have historically created friction with players rather than winning them over. Whatever the internal reasoning, the math apparently no longer added up.
Neither CI Games nor Epic has issued a public statement directly addressing the end of the deal. The information comes from a formal financial disclosure document, so treat specifics beyond what is confirmed in that filing as unconfirmed.
What this means for PC players
The practical upside is straightforward. Without a storefront exclusivity agreement in place, Lords of the Fallen 2 can now launch simultaneously on Steam and other PC platforms. That means access to Steam's review system, wishlist functionality, and a dramatically larger potential player base from day one.
The original Lords of the Fallen, which launched in 2023, sold 2.5 million copies and only recently broke even after two and a half years. Reaching more players at launch matters a lot for a sequel trying to build on that momentum.
Character build options
Broader context for Epic's storefront strategy
This development fits a broader pattern. Epic has had a rough stretch recently. Fortnite V-Bucks prices were raised in March to significant player backlash, and the company laid off over 1,000 employees during the same period. The Epic Games Store's exclusivity strategy was once its primary lever for pulling players away from Steam, but that approach has quietly wound down across several titles.
Losing a high-profile Soulslike sequel like Lords of the Fallen 2 from its exclusive lineup is another data point in that trend.
What comes next
No release date for Lords of the Fallen 2 has been confirmed, and CI Games has not yet announced which storefronts will carry the game at launch. The dissolution of the Epic deal removes one constraint, but the actual platform lineup is still unannounced. For players keeping tabs on the sequel, the Lords of the Fallen II guide collection is worth bookmarking as more details emerge closer to release.
