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CI Games exits Epic Games exclusivity deal, clearing Lords of the Fallen II for day-one Steam launch

Summary
CI Games terminated its 2024 publishing agreement with Epic Games, ending PC exclusivity for Lords of the Fallen II ahead of its 2026 launch.
The original Lords of the Fallen needed 2.5M+ units over 2.5 years to recoup its $80.45M budget - a recovery timeline that argues against constraining the sequel's launch to a single PC storefront.
"Reaching break-even is a significant milestone, ensuring financial stability alongside the recent capital raise, but we know there's more to achieve"
— Marek Tyminski, Co-founder and CEO, CI Games
01

Binding lifecycle exclusivity scrapped, not just a timed window

CI Games confirmed the termination via an investor note on May 19, 2026.
The original June 2024 deal granted Epic exclusive PC distribution for the entire product lifecycle.
The separation agreement fully releases CI Games from those obligations.
No termination reason was disclosed; CI Games did not comment to Game Developer.
02

$80M recoup took 2.5 years - exclusivity narrows the margin for a bigger sequel

The first Lords of the Fallen needed 2.5M+ units and over 2.5 years to recoup $80.45M in dev and marketing.
A sequel at similar or higher cost needs maximum addressable PC audience from day one.
For titles above this budget threshold, an Epic minimum guarantee must offset foregone Steam launch volume.
That calculus grows harder as production budgets rise and Steam's PC market share holds.
03

Sequel targets 2026 on PC and consoles with retention-first development

Lords of the Fallen II is currently slated for 2026 on console and PC.
With lifecycle exclusivity removed, simultaneous Steam availability is now the default assumption.
"The lessons learned and community feedback gathered over the past 2.5 years have been invaluable, and they continue to guide the development of Lords of the Fallen II"
— Marek Tyminski, Co-founder and CEO, CI Games
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