Can the Steam version run without the Steam client?

[Karthink]

I'm deciding between getting this on GOG and Steam, and wanted to know: Can the Steam version can be launched directly from the executable without starting Steam?

 

For context, here is a list of such [strong air quotes] "DRM-free"  games on Steam. Most Paradox titles are this way, as are Larian's and InXile's games.

 

(I prefer GOG for its DRM-free version but manual patching is going to be a bother in the first few months when patches will come thick and fast. The Steam version being essentially DRM-free is the best case scenario.)

[Deadly_Nightshade]

That seems to be the case.

[Karthink]

I dunno. I asked this question in multiple places and I'm getting conflicting reports. I wish someone from Obsidian would clarify.

[LadyCrimson]

If you fully exit Steam then go into the game folder and click on PoE's .exe, the game launches the Steam client before running the game, so I would say ... no, you can't run it without the client.

[Karthink]

Thanks for testing it for me, LadyCrimson. Looks like I'll be redeeming a GOG copy after all.

 

Now I've got Wasteland 2 and Divinity: Original Sin on Steam (which does work without Steam), and PoE on GOG. Would have been nice to own them all in one place.