Arena Breakout Infinite (ABI) Steam Release Is Not Here, But it Will Be
If you are surprised that Arena Breakout Infinite was not released on Steam recently, here you will find full explanation why it didn't happen.
We were taught that a game release on one platform doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be launched on another on the same day. With the rise of EGS and other independent stores on PC, the premiere dates, even within the range of one device, can differ. However, we had all the rights to expect that Arena Breakout: Infinite will start its career in Early Access on Morefun Sudios’ proprietary launcher as well as on Steam at the same time, because the beta tests were conducted on Valve’s platform, too. This did not happen, leaving many fans puzzled by that situation. Here we will shed more light on what happened and why.
Arena Breakout: Infinite Early Access launch on Steam explained
A title that was supposed to rival popular extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov or Gray Zone Warfare has just been released in Early Access. Even though the name seemed familiar and pointed out to Steam’s program of letting players to enjoy not-fully finished games, ABI has not debuted there yet. What happened then? Why didn’t the release take place at the same time on both launchers?
The answer is rather simple – most of us were misled by the name “Early Access” assuming that it will happen on Steam, too. However, the developers in a FAQ shared on X, well before the launch, were informing that the premiere won’t take place on Steam. We have also written about it recently. Citing the devs’ message:
The Early Access is only available for free download on the official global website. It is not available for download on STEAM at this time. […] We will try our best to open the Steam download once it's ready.
Some players claim that more information about Steam release will be provided at Gamescom at the end of the August. Additionally, there are numerous players who complain about monetization system of the title. They accuse the developers of not keeping their word and making the game Pay to Win. This is pointed out to be one of the reasons why ABI did not debut on Steam – the creators being afraid of negative reviews. With all the turmoil surrounding the Early Access release of this production, it shouldn’t be surprising that so far there are no plans of porting this game to consoles.