Control's New PC Patch Forces You to Launch Through the Epic Games Store [Update: It's Being Fixed]
An Epic representative tells USG that DRM and store authentication decisions are up to developers and publishers.
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Update: At 4:20pm ET, Remedy tweeted that "the intent behind using the EGS launcher was to validate future paid expansions" only. The patch is being rolled back on PC for the time being.Remedy Entertainment's Control has been out for over a month, which means that PC players have had plenty of time to get their installation working exactly how they like it. The latest update has thrown things out of whack for many Control players, as it now appears players need to launch Control through the Epic Games Store in order to play.
The patch notes for Control's new 1.04 update don't make any mention of the change, focusing mainly on bug fixes and the addition of the new photo mode. To the dismay of a handful of users on Reddit and ResetEra, upon booting up Control on PC either straight from the executable or as game added to their Steam library, they were greeted by an error message telling them they need to launch Control through the Epic Games Store.
This new requirement also breaks compatibility for PC players who use the Steam Controller or other Bluetooth controllers through Steam's built-in support options.
With many people harboring doubts about the Epic Games Store for other reasons and DRM never ceasing to be a point of contention for consumers, Control players on PC are not only frustrated but surprised to see a change like this added in a post-release patch.
Though Remedy and 505 Games released Control as a one-year Epic Games Store exclusive, Epic Games doesn't require store-wide DRM for titles sold through the store. Last year, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney told Game Informer that "developers are free to use their own DRM solutions if they choose." In a statement to USgamer, an Epic Games representative reiterated that DRM and store authetication decisions are left to developers and publishers.
USG has reached out to Remedy Entertainment and 505 Games concerning the change. We will update this article if we receive a response.
