In a somewhat confusing development for Metro Exodus, it has emerged that the game a Metro Exodus pre-load option will only be available for PC gamers who pre-ordered on Steam. Even though the game is no longer available on Steam. Publisher Deep Silver recently made the unpopular decision to make Metro Exodus exclusive to the Epic Games Store. However, the game was already available to pre-order on Steam, and Deep Silver will still honour those existing pre-orders. Weirdly, though, while gamers who originally pre-ordered on Steam will get a pre-load option, EGS customers won’t.
Just to confirm – Metro Exodus pre-load for existing Steam pre-order customers WILL HAPPEN, and we will announce expected start time in due course.
— Metro Exodus (@MetroVideoGame) February 12, 2019
How the Metro Exodus Pre-Load Option Works on PC
The announcement emerged yesterday in a Tweet from the Metro Exodus Twitter account; “Just to confirm – Metro Exodus pre-load for existing Steam pre-order customers WILL HAPPEN, and we will announce expected start time in due course”; However, a following second message said that; “We regret to inform that pre-load via the Epic Games Store is not planned.”
We regret to inform that pre-load via the Epic Games Store is not planned.
— Metro Exodus (@MetroVideoGame) February 12, 2019
Essentially, players who have already pre-ordered Metro Exodus via Steam will be able to pre-load the game ahead of its official release on Steam; thus ensuring that the game is already ready to play when it launches. However, if you’ve subsequently pre-ordered on the Epic Games Store, you won’t be able to pre-load. Given that Metro Exodus is almost 60 GB in size, it’s understandable why fans would want a pre-load option.
Unfortunately, Deep Silver has not provided an explanation for exactly why this is the case. However, the fact that all of this is happening relatively last-minute may be an important factor. The Metro Exodus Twitter account did go on to confirm that anybody with an existing Steam pre-order will play the game through Steam, even though the game is no longer available to purchase on that platform. EGS customers will have to wait to download the game on the 15th, later this week.
If you have pre-ordered through Steam, you will play through Steam.
— Metro Exodus (@MetroVideoGame) February 13, 2019