Steam has been cracking down hardcore on stuff like this for the last several years, and has been become a much more closed off platform; trying to guard their revenues and profit as other competitors step onto the stage.

Elder Scrolls Online was a good example of that. There have been other MMO's who have come to Steam where Valve has required that all purchases and logins go through them.

Do I hate that this is happening? Yes. I'm one of many who have been using the regular launcher, and just buying the expansion packs through the Steam Store. I was one of those folks who bought the game because it was on sale without any faith that I would like it. Many years later being hooked, i'm still locked into Valve's platform, even though I don't want to be.

But that's not Square Enix's fault. That's Valve's. While i'm not the kind of person to usually cry out at moments like this, i'm happy to say it here: This is what anti-consumer behavior looks like, and sadly, they are empowered by a legion of followers who refuse to use anything but Steam, and put the platform up on a pedestal.

Want things to change? You're on the right track, but I doubt a forum post is going to do much about it. I don't suggest that you ditch SE and FF altogether, but finding proper channels of communication to the right places and giving your constructive feedback helps a lot. Beyond that? Shop elsewhere for other games if at all possible, because the only reason that Valve is doing this is because they can, and the only way that changes is if their hand is forced.

My 2gil.