WRC 8 will launch on PC exclusively in the Epic Games Store

What you need to know

Having been listed in Steam already, the game will launch only in the Epic Games Store.
Will come to Steam after a one-year exclusivity deal.
Still set to launch in September alongside the console versions (aside from the Switch which is launching in October).

Today, however, the bombshell dropped that the PC version of WRC 8 will be launching in the Epic Games Store and only in the Epic Games Store. Once again here to challenge the Steam monopoly by snagging yet another exclusive that can't be sold there, or anywhere else.

Yes, I'm a little snarky, and I don't even mind the Epic Games Store. But I don't like exclusives, because they don't benefit the most important people in all this: the players. Not to mention that early preview builds have been sent out to press and influencers through Steam.

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In any case, it is what it is, but it does at least only seem to be a time limited exclusive deal. The issue is that the time limit is apparently a year.

WRC 8 will still be released next year on Steam as the PC exclusivity is one year long. The page will be updated in the near future. 😉WRC 8 will still be released next year on Steam as the PC exclusivity is one year long. The page will be updated in the near future. 😉— WRC 8 The Official Game (@WRCTheGame) August 26, 2019 August 26, 2019

None of this has any impact on the console versions of WRC 8, with Xbox One and PS4 slated to arrive on September 10 alongside the PC. Only the Switch version comes later, with handheld rally drivers waiting until October.

Exclusivity aside, WRC 8 is shaping up to be an excellent game, and one I'm looking forward to getting properly stuck into. But I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing Epic would stop waving money around and just let game publishers use their store, alongside all the others.

Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.