Update (May 27, 2022 - 12:20 PM) - We've received a reply from Rebellion to our inquiry about Sniper Elite 5 Epic Games Store pre-orders
Here is the statement we received from Rebellion:
Due to circumstances beyond our control Sniper Elite 5 was not available on the Epic Store at launch but will release on that platform in the future. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We have also heard back from Epic Games. A representative told us that they "don't have anything further to share" at this time.
The game has not yet launched on the Epic Games Store at the time of this update. Furthermore, there has yet to be a statement via the official Sniper Elite social media accounts telling players about the issues.
Our original story continues below.
Sniper Elite 5 Epic Games Store pre-orders have been canceled with no clear explanation, and one person has shared an e-mail that claims the Epic Games Store release was postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Today is launch day for Sniper Elite 5, the latest entry in the World War 2 sniper game that lets you shoot Nazis from a mile away. Our review of the game shows that it's turned out to be a fairly solid entry in the franchise, but not everyone is able to play it -- it seems that the Epic Games Store launch has been postponed under mysterious circumstances.
What Happened to the Sniper Elite 5 Epic Games Store Launch?
The Sniper Elite 5 Epic Games Store launch appears to have been quietly postponed based on what we've seen on ResetEra and elsewhere. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an official explanation for the game not launching on that storefront.
Let's start with a comparison of the end cards from two recent videos on the official Rebellion YouTube channel:
On the left is the end card from the Sniper Elite 5 - Survival Mode Stream from May 20, 2022. Just three days later, the video Sniper Elite 5 Spotlight - The Art of Stealth | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4 (posted on May 23, 2022) has removed the Epic Games Store from the list of platforms and storefronts on the end card.
It appears that the decision to postpone the Epic Games Store launch was made sometime in the last few days, but some people haven't gotten the message until very recently -- one person on Twitter shared what is claimed to be an e-mail from the Epic Games Store.
Epic Store Cancels Sniper Elite 5 Pre-orders https://t.co/2XMZb18CPb pic.twitter.com/y3z7iEqtP7
— 3dGameMan (@3dGameMan) May 24, 2022
"Thank you for your recent purchase of Sniper Elite 5," read the e-mail shown in the tweet. "Due to unforeseen circumstances the release on the Epic Games Store has been postponed and we don't have a new release date at this time."
Adding to this, the Rebellion Help Centre appears to have updated the F.A.Q. for the game with the removal of the Epic Games Store from the list of platforms and an additional note about Sniper Elite 5 Epic Games Store pre-orders:
*If you have pre-ordered through Epic, you should have received a refund - if not, please reach out to them here: https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/contact-us*
Finally, the clearest evidence of an issue is on the Sniper Elite 5 Epic Games Store page itself -- while this sniper shooter is now available to play on other platforms, it is still listed as "Coming Soon" on the Epic Games Store.
Unfortunately, we don't yet know exactly why Sniper Elite 5 has apparently postponed its launch on the Epic Games Store; we've reached out to Rebellion for comment and will update this article when we receive a reply. In the meantime, you can still buy Sniper Elite 5 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox starting at $49.99 or your regional equivalent via its official website (sans the Epic Games Store).
