Oddworld: Soulstorm is an Epic Games store exclusive on PC

Oddworld Inhabitants has announced that the PC version of Oddworld: Soulstorm will be released exclusively through the Epic Games store.

Creator Lorne Lanning explained the decision in a Twitter update, revealing that Epic is providing the indie studio with an advance on its PC sales.

He also confirmed that PC and console versions of the game will launch simultaneously in 2020.

“What I would like to do is provide you with the reasoning that went into bringing the PC version of Soulstorm to the Epic Games store as an exclusive because you deserve to know,” he said.

“We’ve been financing Soulstorm 100% ourselves. Soulstorm is our most ambitious game ever and we are committed to creating a great game that meets the highest level of quality. But to create the version of Soulstorm we want, and you deserve, we needed additional financial assistance.

“Ambition is important, and it pushes me to try to overachieve,” Lanning continued. “What pushes me even more is my commitment to you: you deserve great games.

“As an indie publisher we must evaluate partnerships that will help us achieve our goals while protecting our vision for Soulstorm and the quintology.

“Epic supports our goal and commitment and is willing to help us achieve them by providing us with an advance on our PC sales, and we are incredibly grateful.”

A “2.9D” platformer featuring destructible environments and new crafting gameplay, Soulstorm is described as a complete reboot of Abe’s Exoddus, the 1998 sequel to Abe’s Odyssey which suffered critically for having to be developed in less than a year.

Oddworld Inhabitants released the first Oddworld: Soulstorm gameplay video in May.