With just a few weeks left until its release, anticipation is running high for the upcoming Metro Exodus as the latest installment in the post-apocalyptic shooter series. However, an eleventh hour decision to shift the game's PC release exclusively to the Epic Games Store has been met with controversy in the past week, with the decision appearing to come from its IP holder, Koch Media.Following the news last week that Metro Exodus would be releasing exclusively on the Epic Games Store for PC players at launch (one which Valve commented was "unfair"), THQ Nordic explained its role in the decision regarding this exclusivity in a series of tweets.The short answer is that the company -- which acquired Metro IP holder Koch Media and publisher Deep Silver last year -- didn't have direct involvement in the decision to make the title exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC. Instead, that decision rested solely with Koch Media, as the franchise is completely under their direction as far as intellectual property is concerned.In a subsequent tweet, THQ Nordic clarified that while they "do not want to categorically exclude the possibility of timed exclusives for any of our games in the future," the company claimed that it does (currently) seek to give players the ability to "choose the platform of their liking and make our portfolio available to as many outlets as possible."From the outside looking in, it appears that the situation regarding Metro Exodus's PC exclusivity was a matter outside of THQ Nordic's control, despite them being the now-parent company of Koch Media and Deep Silver. That being the case, it seems more that THQ Nordic is trying to distance themselves from this business decision, though not necessarily ruling out that we may not see more timed-exclusive releases from the company's properties, which now includes Saint's Row and Dead Island in addition to the Metro franchise.Metro Exodus will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15, 2019. If you have yet to pick up a copy of the game yet before launch, you can do that now over on Amazon. For more on the game, you can also read our recent hands-on preview impressions of Metro Exodus.

UPDATE: After its initial comments on Twitter, THQ Nordic provided a new statement to clarify some of the details surrounding the company's relationship in regard to Koch Media's decision to make Metro Exodus's PC launch a timed exclusive release on the Epic Games Store.

THQ Nordic AB -- the division of the company that owns Koch Media and Deep Silver -- explained in a statement from its co-founder and CEO Lars Wingefors that "I fully support our sub-groups' autonomy to run their respective businesses," and added that "I believe it's in the group's, and ultimately the consumers', best interest that business decisions are made close to the market and this is the group's consistent business model."

In regard to the Epic Games Store exclusivity for Metro Exodus on PC, Wingefors explained that he believes that "Deep Silver and Koch Media have carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and risks in their decision to go solely with Epic Games Store," in which he gave his "full support" for the decision.