Now that the Shenmue III survey period has been confirmed to run between September 20 and October 3, 2019, there’s an update on whether or not Steam keys will ever be eventually available for the game for backers. On Kickstarter, Ys Net has updated its stance yet again. It stated, “As negotiations with Valve are ongoing, we are not able to make a firm commitment at this point concerning the availability of the Steam keys.” This means that Shenmue III Steam keys are not guaranteed for people who contributed to the crowdfunding campaign. This announcement was followed by an apology for the “revision to the previously stated PC option.”
When previously discussing this Shenmue III survey, which will be designed to allow PlayStation 4 backers to select their region and PC backers to get a refund, Ys Net noted that there would be a Steam key option among the choices. Specifically, it said one choice would say, “If selecting either the PC Physical or PC Digital version, an option to also receive a Steam key one year later will be available.” People will be told how negotiations went in a later update and if Shenmue III Steam keys will or won’t be acquired or available.
As a reminder, refunds are only available for people who had contributed and selected a Shenmue III PC copy. It might take 20 business days to three months for people to get their money back, and in-game rewards may not be removed for people who backed it and request a refund.
Shenmue III will come to the PlayStation 4 and PC (via the Epic Games Store) on November 19, 2019.
