Battlefield 3 not coming to Steam

18 Jul, 2011

Gamestop have revealed that EA will not be making Battlefield 3 available on Steam. This comes as no surprise, as it was only last month that that the publisher had Crysis 2 pulled from the platform. However it will be available as a direct download through Gamestop, as well as other digital distributors such as Direct2Drive and EA’s own Origin.

This comes from the financial research firm Baird, who recently held a meeting with Gamestop executives. In their report they say: “The upcoming EA title Battlefield 3 will be sold as a download through GameStop, but not through Steam.”

EA explained their reason for pulling a number of titles from Steam last week. Their wish to “establish an ongoing relationship with you, to continue to give you the best possible gaming experience” was at the centre of their argument. They also cite the limitations of the Steam client, notably the fact that games bought via Steam require the client to be installed before they will run.

With this step, the widening gulf between EA and Valves is growing. Considering an affable past relationship, it is quite shocking to see them so at odds. Though I do have a soft spot for Steam and Valves as a whole, it is good to shake things up a little.

Via Eurogamer.com.