Having successfully made its way onto iOS and Android devices through a combination of ceaseless legal activity and new EU regulations, the Epic Games Store is ready to start tempting users away from Apple and Google’s digital storefronts – and, in news that’s unlikely to surprise anyone, it plans to do so by giving away free games.
Weekly freebies – alongside subsidised sales vouchers and a rewards programme – have long been Epic’s preferred method of attracting customers to its glacially evolving store on PC, after its various exclusivity deals elicited more frustration that jubilation from players. So news that it plans to repeat the strategy on mobile isn’t much of a revelation.
But it’s now been officially confirmed by Epic Games Store general manager Steve Allison, who, speaking during a round table during this week’s Unreal Fest (thanks mobilegamer.biz) explained, “The free games programme will launch in Q4 along with the [first] third-party apps showing up, and we’re gonna have some awesome stuff for players that will also be awesome for developers because it’ll help us scale really quickly.”
In total, Epic expects to have “between 10 and 50” third-party applications available on its mobile store by this “holiday season”, with Ark: Ultimate Mobile Edition already to confirmed as one of those games. The biggest potential hold-up, according to Allison is “implementing a payment solution, so that may push some of these out into the subsequent months.”
And when it comes to enticing developers, it’s also pushing a similar self-publishing strategy to that seen on PC, alongside a reduced cut of earnings on app sales and in-app purchases – 12 percent – compared to Apple and Google’s share. Epic also waives its cut entirely for six months if a developer agrees to release its game as a six-month Epic store exclusive.
Epic, which announced it was laying off “around 830 employees” last September because it had “been spending way more money than we earn”, has struggled to see a return on its PC store despite its huge monetary investment. Last year, it admitted the Epic Games Store still wasn’t profitable five years after launch, and it’s unclear if that situation changed. Speaking earlier this week, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney trumpeted the fact Fortnite and the Epic Games Store have “hit new records in concurrency and success”, but made no mention of its financial gains.
Epic initially announced it would be launching a mobile version of its store back in February, after Apple confirmed it would be complying with the EU’s Digital Markets Act requiring it to allow sideloading and alternate marketplaces on its devices. Those plans finally reached fruition this August when the Epic Games Store launched for iOS in Europe and Android devices worldwide, although only first-party titles including Fortnite are currently available. It also hopes to launch a UK version in 2025.
Since then, Epic has continued its onslaught of legal action against app store competitors, most recently targeting Samsung and Google for using an “Auto Blocker” setting users must turn off in order to install Epic Games and Fortnite.