Shenmue 3 PC refunds are finally being offered by YS Net and Deep Silver. The third game in the long-awaited Shenmue franchise had a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, but fans were disappointed to see that it was going to be an Epic Store exclusive. The developers will be offering Shenmue 3 refunds if backers are unhappy with this situation — or they could wait a year for Shenmue 3 Steam keys. That’s right: the Shenmue 3 Steam release will be coming in a year, too.
Previously, several backers requested refunds reportedly received an e-mail denying their request. In the time since then, the involved companies attempted to find a solution that would make everybody happy by giving Steam keys to backers on the release of the game. Unfortunately, a backer update on the game’s Kickstarter described coordinating the sales policies of the Epic Games Store and Steam “untenable,” leaving us with an entirely different scenario.
“That we are not able to offer Steam keys for Kickstarter rewards at the time of the game’s release is a great [disappointment] and inconvenience for those backers who were expecting to receive them,” read a portion of the backer update on Kickstarter. “We deeply apologize for the unrest caused by the announcement.”
People who put their money down to back the game have essentially been given three options:
- Get a copy of Shenmue 3 on the Epic Games Store.
- Get a copy of the game on Steam one year after its public release.
- Get their Shenmue 3 PC refunds if neither option works.
One caveat was mentioned: backers who pledged at higher tiers may have already received rewards aside from the game itself. In these few scenarios, backers may be unable to get a full refund as a portion of the promised product has already been delivered.
This backer update regarding Shenmue 3 PC refunds also confirms a Steam release of the game in a somewhat roundabout fashion. Going by the language in the text, it seems that the Shenmue 3 Steam release will be taking place one year after the launch of the title on the Epic Games Store.
Whether you agree with the controversies surrounding Epic Store exclusives, quite a few fans were looking forward to getting the game on Steam. This situation is probably the best compromise that we can hope to get. If you’ve backed the game, you have a big decision to make in the next few days.
