Thanks to a new European regulation, the DMA, Epic Games will soon launch its application store on iOS and Android, with the return of Fortnite on iPhone. The company will offer developers a 12% tax, a model similar to that of Apple.
Fortnite on iPhone, it will soon be possible (again). Fired from the App Store in 2021 after violating Apple’s rules, the Epic Games studio and developer of the famous video game has become a fierce anti-Apple activist. Tim Sweeney’s company dreams of overthrowing the App Store monopoly, which he considers unfair for the industry. The company has also attacked Apple in many countries. He also fought for the creation of the DMA, the European regulation that forces Apple to open up its iPhone.
Even if Epic Games remains dissatisfied with Apple’s conditions (in particular the 50 cent fee per download outside the App Store), it has nevertheless decided to launch its Epic Games Store on iOS, in the European Union, to set an example for other apps that want to leave the App Store.
The company has just revealed the first details on its alternative store, which will also be launched on Android. For this operating system, the scope of the changes will be global.
12% commission, the weakness of the Epic Games Store?
As on Windows, Epic Games says it will take a 12% commission on all sales made from its mobile store. This is less than the rates of 15-30% currently practiced by Apple and Google globally, but close to the new conditions offered by Apple and Google in the European Union.
On the European App Store, sales are now “taxed” by 10 to 13% for small developers and 17 to 20% for larger ones (the higher value is reserved for apps with in-app purchases). Added to this is a tax of 50 euro cents per download (above the first million), to which Epic Games will also be subject. Enough to make Epic Games’ proposition a little less attractive, unless you want to increase the number of distribution channels.
| Epic (iOS) | Epic (Android) | App Store (EU) | App Store (other) | Play Store (EU) | Play Store (other) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small developers | 12% + 50ct/installation | 12% | 10-13% + 50ct/installation | 15% | 12% | 15% |
| Great developers | 12% + 50ct/installation | 12% | 17-20% + 50ct/installation | 30 % | 27% | 30 % |
To attract developers, Epic Games is offering to donate 100% of revenue to its partners for the first six months. Beyond that, it will introduce its 88/12 distribution, which it considers more competitive than that of Apple. Since the DMA only concerns iPhones, the Epic Games Store will not work on iPad.
A developer can also launch an application on his own site, without commission, but he will have to manage the payments himself. It also risks losing visibility. It’s unlikely that users will have fun multiplying installation sources, and Epic Games knows this. Its goal is to become the App Store for video games.
On Android, where it will be available everywhere, the conditions of the Epic Games Store will be more advantageous than those of the Google Play Store in most countries, but not in Europe.
A launch of the Epic Games Store in 2024
For now, Epic Games is not saying when it will launch its app store on iOS and Android. The company talks about “later this year”, which means everything and nothing. Just a few days ago, the launch of the Epic Games Store on iOS was almost canceled after an argument with Apple, which closed Epic’s account. In short, anything is still possible in this war of egos between two giants.
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