Epic's approach to taking on Steam has been a controversial one, but that hasn't stopped the company so far.

Instead of aiming to compete with Steam's features, Epic's primary method of drawing in users has been to snap up much-hyped titles and make them Epic Games Store exclusives; timed or otherwise.

It's already happened with XCOM-like strategy game Phoenix Point, Metro: Exodus, and now – to the inevitable disappointment of many – Obsidian's highly-anticipated "The Outer Worlds." This news was announced by Epic during its GDC 2019 keynote.

According to PC Gamer, the game will also launch on the Microsoft Store, but it won't be coming to any other digital distribution platforms for a full year, especially not Steam.

If you've never heard of The Outer Worlds before, we've covered it in more detail several times in the past. In short, it's a first-person sci-fi RPG that draws heavy inspiration from Fallout: New Vegas.

It will have multiple endings, RPG attributes and skills, companions for players to befriend, and a major focus on giving users freedom of choice; both in terms of the title's story and gameplay.

While The Outer Worlds is still technically listed on Steam, its release date has been changed to 2020 to reflect a new bit of text added to the top of the game's description: "The Outer Worlds will be available on Steam one year after launch on other exclusive digital PC platforms."

So, if you had the game wishlisted on Steam with the intent of pre-ordering it sometime this year, now might be the time to reconsider. Alternatively, Steam fans may wish to wait for the game to officially arrive on the platform next year.