I know I'm a bit late, but I just heard that crossplay is coming.

Searching the forum, I see it's been discussed for a while, but I haven't played since launch and haven't been paying much attention since then, so this was a surprise to me.

Crossplay usually means EOS (Epic Online Services), and I know your publisher is pro-Epic, having gone Epic-exclusive with Satisfactory, and I believe that was one of the first games (at least on Steam) to use EOS (it was the first time I heard of it, at any rate).

I love Valheim, but I'm not interested in crossplay, and I want absolutely nothing to do with anything from Epic. I consider the company (as a whole) cancer, and EOS (specifically) spyware. They've already proven themselves untrustworthy[www.gamesindustry.biz] when it comes to user data.

I beg you: if you do use EOS, make it optional.

In most cases, games which use EOS for their multiplayer connect to Epic's servers as soon as you launch the game, regardless of if a user is using crossplay, or even multiplayer at all, which I honestly find completely unacceptable and disgusting.

A couple of games (like Hammerting and Warhammer 40k: Gladius) only "activate" EOS when the user actually tries to use the multiplayer, which is a bit better.

The best implementation I've seen of it so far is with Titan Quest, where—after heavy backlash from the community for forcing them to use EOS—the devs made it a launch option instead.

I don't know what other crossplay options there might be, but whatever road you end up choosing, I just hope you won't force those of us who want nothing to do with it to be forced to put up with any connections to or account creation with third parties.

I bought the game on Steam, expecting to play through Steam. If I knew at the time I'd have to connect to Epic servers or through a Microsoft account, I wouldn't have bought it.

If you force us to accept a third party at this point, I hope you'll offer refunds. I know you won't. But I hope for it anyway.