EA: Valve took Crysis 2 off Steam, not us

By Fred Dutton Published 15 June, 2011

"This was not an EA decision."

The decision to remove Crysis 2 from Steam was Valve's call, not EA's, the game's publisher has insisted.

Earlier today we reported that Crytek's shooter had disappeared from Valve's store, with many speculating that the move heralded the beginning of an aggressive promotion program from EA aimed at grabbing market share for Origin, its new PC marketplace.

Not so, it seems. EA has since come forward and explained that the game was removed as it was in breach of a new set of store regulations laid down by Valve.

"It's unfortunate that Steam has removed Crysis 2 from their service. This was not an EA decision or the result of any action by EA," read a statement handed to IGN.

"Steam has imposed a set of business terms for developers hoping to sell content on that service – many of which are not imposed by other online game services.

"Unfortunately, Crytek has an agreement with another download service which violates the new rules from Steam and resulted in its expulsion of Crysis 2 from Steam.

"Crysis 2 continues to be available on several other download services including Origin.com."

We've put in a request with Valve for clarification and will update if it chooses to add any colour of its own.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 11 months ago

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  • el_pollo_diablo #1 11 months ago

    So, errr, what was the problem?

  • HyperTails #2 11 months ago

    Read between the lines on this one:

    "Unfortunately, Crytek has an agreement with another download service which violates the new rules from Steam and resulted in its expulsion of Crysis 2 from Steam."

    Origin turns up and then Crysis 2 mysteriously dissapears from Steam? Origin could be the other DL service. Its either that, or Valve are getting cocky and demanding exclusivity for games... which could be possible.

    At the end of the day though, it was Crysis 2 that got removed. We're not talking about a game that anybody will miss here.
    Edited by HyperTails at 15/06/11 @ 21:44

  • icematt12 #3 11 months ago

    Valve made out to be the bad guy? Sounds like a first to me.

  • hiddenranbir #4 11 months ago

    No, I've heard Valve being cunts before. Which shouldn't be a surprise. They're not angels. No big company is, are they?

  • DEMONOUS #5 11 months ago

    Its all just publicity for the game, origin and steam, They love it and they think we're stupid enough to care.

  • digitalash #6 11 months ago

    Doesn't sound like a typical Valve move, especially as they work with and seem to get along fine with EA. I wonder what the full story is here?

  • GamesConnoisseur #7 11 months ago

    Both are happier, EA knew Valve ll get justification to remove Crysis 2 and they wouldn't want to support direct competitor.

    So now untangled themselves of any obligations and clear water between them for any racing/torpedoing or whatever competitors get up to these days!

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #8 11 months ago

    Origin could be the other DL service. Its either that, or Valve are getting cocky and demanding exclusivity for games... which could be possible.

    That's how it reads to me. As regards exclusivity, I suspect that having your download game exclusively available on Steam grants you rights to extra product promotion and such. EA seem to have put themselves in breach of contract deliberately, so Valve have invoked the inevitable penalty clause and pulled the game.

  • thesonglessbird #9 11 months ago

    HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

    I'm sceptical. I don't know about which part though. Something just seems FISHY.

  • thiagots85 #10 11 months ago

    "Steam has imposed a set of business terms for developers hoping to sell content on that service "

    Valve: Can we make a real big promotion on Crysis 2 in the next big sale season?
    EA: NO!... you would make people choose you
    Valve: Ok.... so, can we put achievements, so people would have more things to do out of the multiplayer?
    EA: NO! are you nuts?
    Valve: er.... alright.... can we at least give some hats, and a nanosuit for the spy to wear in team fortress 2, as a bonus content?
    EA: THAT'S IT! WE ARE TAKING CRYSIS 2 OUT OF STEAM! ... you just made a powerful enemy! *shaking fists*

  • Dave #11 11 months ago

    I don't think it would make sense for EA from a business perspective to remove Crysis 2 from Steam. The game has lost its launch momentum, so I doubt there are a lot of people still eager to buying it from Origin. It would seem better to leave the game on as many download services as possible. So I'm inclined to believe Valve is behind this, but why is it limited to Crysis 2? Or will other EA games be taken off as well?

  • Xabarin #12 11 months ago

    So EA advertises "ONLY ON ORIGIN" games, then suddenly Crysis 2 dissapears from steam because Valve wanted to, and no other game.

    I can think of two things that could have happened here, because any other option is just not rational:

    -EA is flat out lying
    -(taken from a reddit thread, because I can't explain it any better) Reading between the lines, it's possible that the "different DD service" is, in fact, Origin, and that EA specifically wrote the agreement so that signing on with Origin would violate the terms Crytek agreed to with Steam, and maybe even pressured Crytek into doing it.

    I'm really curious to read what Valve has to say about this, if they do have something to say.

  • Shikasama #13 11 months ago

    A bit late after all the talk about EA games being available exclusively on Origin earlier.

    Very clever spin though, 2k will probably take on their PR firm.

  • Badassbab #14 11 months ago

    EA vs Valve

    Let the action begin (Think Fighting Vipers)

  • TheNinkyNonk #15 11 months ago

    I'd be reet chuffed if Valve put as much energy into Half Life 3 as they do Steam

  • chaywa #16 11 months ago

    Sod West/Zampella vs Kotick and Activision, EA versus Valve is the real battle worth watching.

  • dagas #17 11 months ago

    If valve is taking games off of Steam just because they exist elsewhere then they have become massive dicks, which would not be surprising. Steam has grown so much and in the business world it always seems like the more you grow the more of a dick you become because you can abuse your dominating market share.

  • shadow651 #18 11 months ago

    @Dave

    "So I'm inclined to believe Valve is behind this, but why is it limited to Crysis 2? Or will other EA games be taken off as well?"
    EA says the agreement was between crytek and someone else in which case it shouldn't affect other EA games
    Edited by shadow651 at 15/06/11 @ 23:32

  • coolbritannia #19 11 months ago

    @TheNinkyNonk, nail on the head dude.

  • dingo75 #20 11 months ago

    I heard rumors that it's because of exclusive DLC for Crysis 2 only available on Origin (the map pack they announced).
    I assume if there is DLC for a game on Steam Valve wants all DLC available there as well or sold within the game itself (like Mass Effect and Dragon Age games).
    Otherwise people will need to choose the digital distribution service that guarantees all DLC available if they want all DLC for a game.

    If that is indeed the reason then Valve was right showing EA / Crytek the door otherwise it would be even harder to get the "best" version of the game by having to ask all digital platforms if they get all DLC or if one of them has an exclusive deal...

    Maybe EA will get Crysis 2 back on Steam as the Summer Sale is said to begin shortly.
    Would hurt to not have Crysis 2 in it as it didn't sell too well so far.

  • Matthew_Hornet #21 11 months ago

    I would normally be among those assuming that, as it's a big company, Valve can be assholes as much as any other big company. Except they're privately held, and I'm pretty sure that at Valve what Gabe Newell says goes. And he's less of an asshole than many.

  • cjs #22 11 months ago

    Refusing to sell games on Steam that don't get all DLC on Steam is a reasonble from a consumer, as well as Valve's business, point of view. It means that consumers don't have to check carefully when they buy something from Steam to see if they can or cannot get all the DLC as well.

  • Inmediasress #23 11 months ago

    @Xabarin

    Completely agree probably that's the scenario and frankly I don't see EA and origin get out of it as winners.
    The more I hear about origins the more does stillbirth come to mind.

  • Makeem95 #24 11 months ago

    I don't see the point of this move, if it really was Valve's doing.
    By removing Crysis 2 from Steam, wouldn't that just push people who want to download the game to use other download services?

  • KungFuSpoon #25 11 months ago

    I think all the digital distribution services need to sit round a table and discuss setting some standards.

    If I buy a game, be it on disc, through steam or impulse or origin or whatever I want to be able to use/install DLC from other sources. The closest we have so far is that EA's per-origin service will take CD-Keys from disc bought games (as well as with CD-Keys bought through Steam) so that it will recognise the game and add DLC to it.

  • Shinetop #26 11 months ago

    I love how you could almost hear the collective dropping of jaws in disbelief as millions of fanboys try to come to grips with the realisation that yes, sometimes EA is not the bad guy and sometimes Valve isn't the pinaccle of awesomeness.

  • Softie2k #27 11 months ago

    Valve lost me when they decided to focus on Steam and the overly hyped Portal 2 rather than HL2:EP3.

  • Murton #28 11 months ago

    "I assume if there is DLC for a game on Steam Valve wants all DLC available there as well or sold within the game itself (like Mass Effect and Dragon Age games). "

    I think this is the most plausible reason speculated so far, though EA do say it's a new rule that Crytek are in breach of and I'd have thought that DLC availability would have been quite an old rule by now.

    I don't think we'll ever know the reason why, Valve aren't going to expose their inner workings to the public or they'll lose the almost hero like image they've built over the years and EA aren't going to reveal the reason as they need a good working relationship with Valve to keep their other games on Steam until their own Origin platform is established and Steam is no longer required, if they can get that far.

  • Shinetop #29 11 months ago

    I assume if there is DLC for a game on Steam Valve wants all DLC available there as well or sold within the game itself (like Mass Effect and Dragon Age games).

    That's not the case for Mass Effect. Some DLC is available bundled with the game, but you have to buy the rest outside of Steam, which is super annoying.

  • apoc_reg #30 11 months ago

    Absolute lie!

  • Liquidoodle #31 11 months ago

    I assume nothing, can we have some real answers please :)

  • 5h1nj1 #32 11 months ago

    I'm sorry, but what's origin.com? No such site exists according to my browser.

  • ghiest #33 11 months ago

    Yer cos these rules affect masses of games, oh that's right it's only Crysis 2?

  • hiddenranbir #34 11 months ago

    Refusing to sell games on Steam that don't get all DLC on Steam is a reasonble from a consumer, as well as Valve's business, point of view.

    Right, as reasonable as it is for games to not sell games that have steamworks in it since it just helps their competitor.

    I'm not finding this situation all that -omg-.

  • IronCladChicken #35 11 months ago

    @Shinetop
    'millions of fanboys try to come to grips with the realisation that yes, sometimes EA is not the bad guy and sometimes Valve isn't the pinaccle of awesomeness.'

    Dude - No one knows whats going on here (except EA & Valve). I think you might be jumping the gun a little.
    (& btw. there are already plenty of fanboys who already consider Gabe to be a complete arse and have done for a good few years now)