We all know the story behind Shenmue 3, the game that broke records when it was able to collect funding that amounted to $6,333,295 via Kickstarter. However, the game soon found itself in controversy when it was announced that Shenmue 3 is going to be an Epic Store exclusive. Now, developer Ys Net is starting to email its backers asking them to confirm what version of the game they would like to receive.
Backers can now choose whether they want to get Shenmue 3 via Epic Games, Steam, PS4, or ask for a refund. Unfortunately, Ys Net also revealed that there is a strong chance that the Steam keys "will ultimately not be distributed" at all. The reason behind this is that the studio is still under negotiations with Valve. Initially, the talk between the two companies should have ended sooner, but it appears that the discussions are still on-going. As for the progress of the game's development, Ys Net released a preview trailer for Shenmue 3 last August.
Requests for Steam keys will be accepted through the survey, however, there is the possibility that Steam keys will ultimately not be distributed depending on negotions with Valve. An announcement will be posted in the updates with the outcome of the negotiations.
Earlier this month developer Ys Net announced that the PC refunds for Shenmue 3 will only be available for a limited time. The dev explained that PC backers who wish to refund their pre-orders or to switch to another version of the game can only do so by filling out a survey that will only be available until October 3, 2019. It is currently unclear why the negotiations with Valve is taking a long time, but for those wanting to play the upcoming game on Steam, it appears that things are not looking great for the time being.
When Shenmue 3's development was first announced, players were excited to finally get the sequel that they have been waiting for since 2001. However, things quickly turned sour for the game's backers after Shenmue 3 found itself slammed by scandal after scandal with issues arising from exclusivity deals, pre-order bonuses, and problems over refunds.
Shenmue 3 is set to release on November 19, 2019, for the PC and PlayStation 4.
