Ubisoft is currently engaged in a process some might call a reverse move: After years of releasing exclusively on the Epic Store, the publisher is slowly coming back to Steam. The flagship title for a return with day-one releases is Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which will launch on March 20. However, Ubisoft is still requiring players to connect their Steam accounts to Ubisoft Connect.

This shift emerges from Ubisoft’s realization that it cannot ignore Steam’s vast player base; nevertheless, the company would prefer that players purchase titles directly from its platform. This somewhat resistant attitude has prompted Ubisoft to begin revisiting its past games to include Steam achievements, often several years after their release.

The most recent addition is for Watch Dogs 2. Fully nine years post-launch, Ubisoft has added achievements, allowing players to earn rewards for tasks like petting 10 dogs or capturing photos in the game. There is a notable feature: if players meet the achievements’ requirements prior to the patch, these will unlock automatically when the game is launched.

It’s challenging to gauge enthusiasm for revisiting Watch Dogs 2, a game often considered one of the more mediocre entries in the open-world genre, despite some fans touting it as their favorite in the franchise. Nonetheless, Watch Dogs 2 is seen as better than its predecessor, albeit marginally.

Ubisoft’s ongoing updates to its back catalog now include added Steam achievements for titles such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and, after a lengthy 11-year wait, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. Yet, this approach can feel like a half-hearted effort, as players still have to deal with the Ubisoft Connect overlay. While the gradual return to Steam and updates to older games should be appreciated, many suspect Ubisoft Connect will remain in play for the foreseeable future.