Long-awaited arcade racer Horizon Chase 2 launches as an Epic exclusive

destructoid.com:

The sequel to 2018’s highly acclaimed arcade racer Horizon Chase Turbo has officially launched on PC and the Nintendo Switch, though many might’ve missed this due to its Epic Games Store exclusivity. Indeed, the king of free game giveaways has scored yet another exclusivity deal, following a relatively long period of not going after them. The last high-profile Epic exclusive was Dead Island 2, discounting the variety of Ubisoft titles that are specifically avoiding Steam, but this time, it makes sense that it’s happening.

Notably, Epic Games acquired the Horizon Chase developer, Aquiris, earlier in 2023. Given that he studio had previously released Horizon Chase 2 on mobile phones with plans to release it on the Switch and PC later on, it was rather easy to see the writing on the wall.

The availability of a solidly reviewed new arcade racing game on PC is great news, but the fact that Epic had previously acquired the developer means it’s not going to be coming to Steam – or any other PC gaming platform, for that matter – anytime soon. In and of itself, this isn’t necessarily a huge deal for Aquiris’ desktop audiences, but it does mean installing it on, say, the Steam Deck, won’t be as straightforward as it could’ve been.

This puts Horizon Chase 2 in the same situation as the upcoming Alan Wake 2. Remedy Entertainment’s new flagship is due to launch in late October, and it too will be an Epic Store exclusive. The situation is particularly interesting as Epic decided to fund the development of the game in the first place, meaning that Alan Wake 2 wouldn’t even be a thing without the company’s involvement.

Epic Games Store exclusivity isn’t as big of a deal in 2023 as it was when the company first started putting its foot