Epic Games has made a major move to expand its mobile store by adding 19 third-party games for Android users worldwide, with 16 of these games also available on iOS devices exclusively in the European Union. This development aligns with Epic’s ongoing efforts to break the stronghold of traditional app stores like Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Challenging Traditional App Stores
Launched in August 2024, Epic’s mobile game store aimed to bypass the hefty fees imposed by major app marketplaces. Initially, the store featured only Epic’s flagship titles such as Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe. Now, Epic is broadening its horizons by welcoming third-party developers to its platform.
The company is taking bold steps to attract developers by offering an 88%/12% revenue split, a far better deal compared to the up to 30% cut taken by other platforms. Additionally, Epic introduced the Launch Everywhere program, which reduces the royalty rate for Unreal Engine games from 5% to 3.5% across all platforms, provided the games debut on the Epic Games Store before or simultaneously with other stores.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney emphasized the company’s vision:
“We are opening up the Epic Games Store to mobile games from third parties, starting with a small catalog and expanding over time to a very big catalog. Our aim here isn’t just to launch a bunch of different stores, but to build a single cross-platform store.”
Epic is also working on self-publishing tools, which is currently in beta, and plans to make it accessible to all developers later this year.
Introducing Free Games on Mobile
Epic has also launched a Free Games program on its mobile platform, similar to the popular initiative on its PC store. The program begins with Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee and Bloons TD 6, both available on Android and iOS until February 20. Over time, Epic plans to offer free games on a weekly basis.
To support developers, Epic will cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee (CTF) for free games for one year. The CTF policy requires a €0.50 fee per download after a game crosses 1 million installs, a practice Epic has criticized as restrictive. By covering these fees, Epic is making its platform more appealing to smaller developers looking for cost-effective distribution options.
Available Third-Party Titles
The list of new third-party games includes:
- Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee (January’s free game)
- Evoland 2
- Figment 1
- Hidden Folks
- Idle Champions
- Pilgrims
- Out There
- Shapez
- Samorost 2
- Samorost 3
- Super Meat Boy Forever
- Super Space Club
- There Is No Game
- Firestone Idle RPG (only on iOS)
- Gigapocalypse (only on iOS)
- Blade of God X (only on Android)
- Mafia City (only on Android)
- Office Fight (only on Android)
- The Grand Mafia (only on Android)
Some titles, such as Firestone Idle RPG, are exclusive to iOS, while others like Blade of God X are Android-only.
The Bigger Picture
While Epic’s mobile store has grown to 29 million users since its launch in 2024, it still has a long way to go to meet its 100 million-user target. However, with these new features and partnerships, the company is positioning itself as a serious competitor to the established giants.
For more updates, visit Epic Game Store. And don’t forget to subscribe to Gaming Foodle for the latest gaming news!
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