The latest Grounded and EARTH DEFENCE FORCE 6 patches have removed their respective Epic and Microsoft account requirements on Steam. At a time when some game publishers are heavy-handedly requiring PC users to create and use external accounts for their games on Steam, it’s always refreshing to hear of a game that will let you click play and move on to enjoying it. On a side note, it is an interesting coincidence that these two games which other than being available for PC, have nothing to do with each other. One is published by Xbox Game Studios, while the other is by D3Publisher. Regardless, owners of Grounded and EARTH DEFENCE FORCE 6 have less to deal with now when wanting to play a round.
Obsidian has indicated that Grounded will still require an MS account for crossplay, something quite common for games that support crossplay. Obsidian has however added an in-game toggle switch for turning crossplay on/off and switching to Steam native play. Players can then host and join in multiplayer games while in Steam native mode. The patch notes for EARTH DEFENCE FORCE 6 simply indicate that the game no longer requires signing into an Epic Games Account to play but additionally provides a link for instructions on how to unlink accounts from Epic. Just a heads up for those looking to put a crew together for EDF 6, Humble Bundle currently has a 4-pack offer for $47.99 ($9.60 off) but those interested need to keep checking in on it because they have been selling out of Steam keys but are restocking as quickly as they can.
Per Obsidian Entertainment:
- “Greetings friends! We have a small patch out today for some changes to the Steam store, you no longer have to sign in with your Microsoft account, but is still required for Crossplay, Shared Worlds, and Playgrounds. If you are experiencing any issues, please contact us at support.obsidian.net.”
- Steam Native Support: Steam players no longer require a Microsoft Account to play multiplayer
- While not logged into a Microsoft Account, you can host and join standard world multiplayer sessions with players from your Steam friends list
- Note: a Microsoft Account is still required for Crossplay, Shared Worlds and Playgrounds
- Changes: Added a Crossplay Toggle in the Main Menu to quickly switch between a “Crossplay State” and a “Steam Native State”
- Friends will need to be in the same “State” to see and join each other online
- Players can now unlink their Microsoft Account from their Steam Account
- Navigate by going to Options – Game Tab – At the bottom you will see “Unlink Microsoft Account”
Per Steam:
- “This application has been modified so that you can play online missions without signing in to your Epic Games account.”
- “Signing in to your Epic Games account is no longer required. If you wish to unlink your Steam account from your Epic Games account, please visit Epic Games website in a web browser.”
- “For details on how to unlink accounts, please visit the website below.”