That feels a bit like circumventing the client requirement (after the first time).. I wonder if Epic will change such possibility in the future.

I'm wondering that myself. I'm waiting for it to go on sale but I'm tempted because it's the only other DRM-Free Souls-like other Lords of the Fallen. I really want Epic to keep it launcher free.

The game itself has no DRM, that's all I've been saying... not sure why that's so hard to understand
And THIS is why I started the thread and then it devolved into a war of semantics
Epic has clearly stated that adding DRM to the game itself is up to the dev/publisher whether or not they want to, but unlike Steam/Steamworks, they offer no solution themselves for devs... for instance, I've had Shadow Complex on there already and trying to launch that without the Epic Games Launcher active, it will launch that first, then the game, so that one requires the launcher, whereas Ashen 100% does not require the launcher (after initial install) for full functionality of the game

Thank you for this, Mawthra. It is really good to know that this game is client free and it's really rough that these types of threads have go this way when all you're trying to do is inform those who might be interested that this game is client free after downloading and installing it for those who are interested. Regardless of how they define DRM.

It is strange with Shadow Complex being able to run client-free on Steam but with Epic it needs it, unless it got updated to require Steam as well but that's another topic.

Glad it helped someone, that's all I was trying to do in case anyone was on the fence about it because of that reason alone

Definitely helped. The only thing I'm on the fence about now is how it is and the cost but I'm very tempted. Especially with how it seems that they want everyone to think it requires the client, they could be working on a way to put that in with the next update/patch based on how they treated your good news on their Steam hub. That is indeed concerning.

Absolutely could happen... we can only hope at some point they wind up releasing on Steam and GOG, considering Annapurna publishes games here, but for now... I'm finding the game pretty fun

I don't get why the latter 50% of this thread is still hammering on whether you need the client to install the game. The point there is whether you'll always need it to install it (=drm). If the above is true you only need it with the first time download and never after that, which I'm fairly sure makes it DRM-Free by most people's definitions here. We have an entire thread dedicated to the same thing on Steam.

Yup... I apply the same principle to games I have on Steam that have no DRM... archive the game install folder for safekeeping... play them down the line, whenver and wherever without having to worry about Steam

Without an apparent GOG release, I've been keen to play Ashen, but didn't want to grab it on Steam so 'what constitutes DRM' discussion aside this is good to know.

Also, as another aside, watching Steam forums explode into rage about it being time exclusive on EGS and bad business practices etc is a most delicious combo of schadenfreude and irony.

Worth the purchase for that alone.

That's already something, but you do not get a standalone backup installer for the game, or do you? Then you still would have to authenticate via some sort of client before any installation or update, which, if I'm not mistaken, is usually regarded as DRM.

So far, I think this thread should be titled as the one corresponding thread for Steam "games not requiring the client to run".

But if Epic indeed delivers the same service as GOG with regard to DRM free games, the better for it.

Whether Ashen is DRM free or not, depends completely on your definition of what DRM is.

For me it is something like "no restrictions of use after point of purchase and delivery" - which means that when I have the files i bought, I can do what I bloody well like to do with them in my own time and pace without any restrictions. And yes, by this definition it looks like this Ashen is DRM free, and there are many DRM free games on Steam as well.

To those who argue it is not - what is your definition of DRM?

Anyway, thanks to Mawthra to point out that there is a possibility to deliver DRM free games on Epic games store, will be interesting to see how it goes with times.

While I think there should only be one definition of DRM free really and not competing ones, I guess that the world is just a bit too complex for such simplicity.

Still here is my definition: "no restrictions to use after purchase and the time needed for a single download".

With Epic as well as with Steam (or Galaxy) you probably have restrictions every time you install or update the game. That really should be DRM, I think, and I prefer to just call it "doesn't require a client to run" as this is much more precisely describing the situation.

There have been countless discussions on the internet if Steam is or isn't DRM and I guess since Epic is just the same, all the arguments still apply.

For the sake of completeness my definition spelled out in terms of user actions:

- Checks before download of the installable game data - DRM free
- Checks before installation or update - DRM (I see no way how to not call that DRM)
- Checks before launch - DRM

But can you install the software without the client like with GOG offline stand alone installers. You need installers because they're good for the registry.