Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's brutal PC debut has sparked unexpected controversy. The source of the conflict? Epic Online Services (EOS). Read on to discover the developers' responses and the resulting player backlash.

Space Marine 2's Mandatory EOS: Crossplay's Unexpected Price

EOS: A Requirement, According to Epic

Since its release, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has faced criticism over its mandatory Epic Online Services (EOS) integration, regardless of players' interest in crossplay.

While Focus Entertainment, the publisher, clarified on their website that linking Steam and Epic accounts isn't required for single-player enjoyment, Epic Games told Eurogamer that crossplay is mandatory for all multiplayer titles on their store. This policy necessitates EOS inclusion in Space Marine 2, even for Steam users who don't want the feature.

An Epic Games spokesperson stated to Eurogamer, "Cross-play across all PC storefronts is a requirement of the Epic Games Store for all multiplayer games, ensuring players and friends can play together regardless of where they purchased the game. Developers are free to choose any solutions that meet this requirement, including Epic Online Services, which may require a secondary installation to enable the Social Overlay (friends list, cross-platform invites, etc.) on PC."

The core issue: Developers aren't forced to use EOS, but crossplay across PC stores on the Epic Games Store mandates it. For many, EOS is the simplest solution, offering pre-built features that meet Epic's requirements—and it's free.

Player Backlash Against EOS

While some embrace crossplay, many players strongly oppose the mandatory EOS installation. Concerns include its perceived "spyware" nature, discomfort with additional software, and a general preference to avoid the Epic Games Launcher.

This led to negative Steam reviews upon release, largely focused on the unannounced EOS inclusion—despite EOS being separate from the Epic Games Launcher. The lengthy EOS EULA also raised privacy concerns, particularly the confusion surrounding data collection specifics (regional variations further fueled the negative sentiment).

However, Space Marine 2 isn't alone in using EOS and its EULA. Hundreds of games, including Hades, Elden Ring, Satisfactory, Dead by Daylight, Palworld, Hogwarts Legacy, and many more, utilize the service. Given Epic's ownership of the popular Unreal Engine and its frequent EOS integration, this widespread use is understandable.

Therefore, the negative reviews should be considered carefully—are they knee-jerk reactions, or legitimate concerns about a common industry practice?

Ultimately, installing EOS for Space Marine 2 is a player's choice; it's removable. However, removing EOS means losing crossplay functionality with non-Steam players.

Despite the backlash, Space Marine 2 remains impressive. Game8 awarded it a 92, praising it as a "near-perfect representation of what it means to be a zealous Space Marine under the Empire of Man and is an amazing sequel to the 2011 third-person shooter." For a detailed review, check out our full analysis!