Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has always called out Apple for what he terms anti-competitive behavior. Earlier this month, Apple terminated Epic’s developer account. Days later, Apple reinstated the account following the intervention of the European Commission which said they “will act swiftly to enforce the Digital Markets Act”.
During the tech titan’s GDC showcase, Epic Games general manager Steve Allison announced that Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android later this year. Although nothing much was said beyond the announcement, concept art flashed on the screen, giving viewers a hint of what the Epic Games Store would look like.
Alisson said Epic Games has been “tirelessly fighting” mobile gatekeepers, obviously a swipe at Apple and Google. Since 2020, Apple and Epic have locked horns in a fierce legal battle that mostly relates to the 30% platform fee Apple charges developers for every in-game transaction.
Trouble started when Epic tried to bypass the fee by offering players a new direct payment option in Fortnite. At the height of the dispute, Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store and terminated Epic’s original developer account. Apple issued a statement (as seen on 9to5Mac) saying it has the right to terminate Epic’s developer account.
Epic said that by releasing its proprietary app store, it will be able to circumvent the regulations and restrictions put in place by the so-called mobile gatekeepers. The company hopes to launch the Epic Games Store on Android and iOS before the end of this year. It will come with a slew of new self-publishing tools targeted primarily at mobile games.
It is claimed that the Epic Games Store has over 230 million registered users and around 68 million active monthly users. Taking its platform to mobile is definitely an attempt to expand its market share in the gaming industry and attract new users. Below are Fortnite announcements made by Epic at GDC as reported by SaiyanDeezy;
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- First Person coming this year
- Fall Guys will soon be playable in Fortnite
- Battle Royale will be made in UEFN Starting 2025
- Fortnite x NINJAGO coming soon
- Fortnite returns to IOS this year
- 3 New Lego maps playable now
- You can Make Lego maps & Rocket Racing Maps now
Epic Games Store’s First Run ends December 31, 2024
Last year, Epic Games launched the Epic First Run program, an opt-in exclusivity program for third-party developers and publishers. In addition to that, the company also launched the Now on Epic program which incentivizes third-party developers and publishers to bring all their previously released products to the Epic Games Store and enjoy 100% of net revenue for the first six months on the store on all payments processed by Epic Games.
At the end of the six months, the fee will revert to 88%/12% revenue split—where the developer or publisher takes 88% while Epic Games Store takes 12%. The fee charged by Epic is still the lowest in the industry. Other major platforms including Steam, iOS, and Android charge 30%.
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“Participating in this program requires a commitment to release a minimum of three products that have been released prior to October 31, 2023, and are currently live on another third-party PC storefront (or are included in a third-party subscription service),” said Epic.
Registration for the Now On Epic program will end on December 31, 2024, and all eligible products must be brought to Epic Games Store on or before June 30, 2025. See the full eligibility details here.
It is not clear if this program will be extended to the Epic Games mobile store when it launches later this year. However, it is news that mobile developers and publishers interested in getting 100% revenue share should look out for.
Do you think the Epic Games Store will be a success on Android and iOS? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
