Phoenix Point backers are massively asking for their money back. They are unhappy with the temporary exclusivity of the game for Epic Games Store
1.6 thousand people took back their money invested in the Phoenix Point turn-based strategy from Snapshot Games. So they expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the title will not be on Steam – it will become a temporary exclusive of the Epic Games Store.
In recent months, a lot of games have left Steam (albeit temporarily) for the Epic Games Store. These include Metro Exodus and Operencia: The Stolen Sun. The situation with Phoenix Point is different in that money was raised for it by crowdfunding. In June 2017, $766 thousand was raised for the project by the efforts of 10 thousand FIG users alone. And in total, 47 thousand people supported the game in rubles at various crowdfunding sites. They were all promised a key on Steam.
This week, the creative director of Phoenix Point and the creator of the original X-COM, Julian Gollop, announced the move of the game in a video message on YouTube. The video collected so many dislikes and negative comments that it was eventually deleted. This is reported by Eurogamer.
Then Gollop went to the branch on Reddit and apologized to the players. In an interview for the media, he promised backers not only a Steam or GOG key to choose from, but also three free DLC packs. They will receive all this in a year, when the game will cease to be exclusive under the contract. He also promised a full refund to those who want it.
However, the Phoenix Point community is still unhappy. Many players call themselves deceived and even accuse the developer of fraud.
Backers from China also appeared in the discussion. They reminded that the Epic Games Store launcher is not available in their country.
Question: backers who supported the game while in China, but will not even be able to install Epic Launcher — why should they wait a whole year? How can I, a backer, launch this game in China? I would easily do it through GOG or Steam.
Many were also outraged that Snapshot Games made a deal with a store in which, according to their own words, there are not even minimal amenities for players.
It's not just that the release of Phoenix Point in the Epic Games Store violates their original promises. The fact is that Epic Launcher is a terrible product with poor or non—existent technical support, lack of basic functionality and poor security. In addition, in order to return the funds, at the suggestion of Snapshot Games, I now have to provide my confidential personal data to another company.
Gollop himself answers the following:
By the time Phoenix Point is released, the Epic Games Store will already have advanced features, it will gain a better foothold in the market. I know Epic really wants to create a platform that is convenient for both sellers and consumers. We have a lot of ideas on how to make the platform a better alternative to all competitors
Creative Director of Phoenix Point
Phoenix Point, inspired by the X-COM series, is preparing for release in September this year.
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