The Epic Game Store, first announced a few days back is now live and additional information is available for those interesting in publishing their game on Epic’s new store. Beyond the incredibly generous 88/12% revenue split, there are a number of advantages to the new store such as an affiliate program, completely customizable store pages and of course… Fortnite. As an additional draw to the store, Epic are offering a free game every two weeks, with the first free offering being Subnautica on Dec 14th, then Super Meat Boy (oddly no link) two weeks later.
Additional details on how the store functions are available in their about page:
Why is Epic Games opening a store?
As a developer ourselves, we have always wanted a store with fair economics that connects us directly with our players. Thanks to the success of Fortnite, we are now able to share our capabilities with other developers and make that store a reality.
What’s the catch? Is this 88% revenue share a special introductory rate?
There is no catch; the 88% share to the developer is the permanent rate. Epic’s 12% share covers the operating costs of the store and makes us a profit.
Will the Epic Games store be an overnight success?
This will be a long term effort. Epic Games has been around for 27 years. We expect to invest in and work to grow the store for many years to come.
How are you selecting titles for the Epic Games store?
We are prioritizing developers who have flexibility in timing and a willingness to work through the early phases of a store with us. We consider many other factors as well, so there is no set formula.
How can I make Epic aware of my interest to put my game on the store?
Complete and submit the form at the bottom of this page or if you have an existing relationship with Epic through Unreal Engine licensing, reach out to your business contact.
When is the store launching for all developers?
We are planning to open the store for all developers in the second half of 2019.
Which platforms does the Epic Games store support?
We are launching with PC and Mac support. Support for other open platforms, such as Android will come later.
What does it mean when Epic wants to give me direct access to my audience?
Players who own your games will see your news posts in their newsfeed, providing you a direct connection to your players. When purchasing a game, players can choose to share their email addresses directly with developers of games they purchase.
My game is built with Unity or another engine, can I bring it to the Epic Games store?
Yes, the Epic Games store is engine-agnostic. Epic is aiming to bring great games to players, regardless of your engine choice.
My game is built with Unreal Engine. Why should I ship on the Epic Games store?
Beyond the normal ease of shipping on every platform, there are no engine royalties for UE4-based games sold on the Epic Games store. If you’re using the default free license with a 5% royalty, for example, you won’t pay the licensing fees from your sales on the Epic Games store. Royalties from sales on other platforms would remain the same 5%.
What is the Support-A-Creator program? What does it mean to me?
Support-A-Creator is the program full of amazing content creators who will help promote games on the Epic Games store. Creators earn a share of revenue from each attributable sale. Developers set the rate of the revenue share and Epic pays the first 5% for the first 24 months. Developers get immediate access to thousands of creators who can promote their titles with no friction. We believe this will make a more direct and sustainable connection between game developers and content creators (streamers, influencers, etc). There are currently more than 10,000 content creators in the program, with tens of millions of supporters, and that number is growing every day.
Where is the Epic Games store available?
The Epic Games store is available to players in most countries in the world except for China and where prohibited by US law, such as North Korea and Iran. Certain regions, such as South Korea, may have additional legal requirements that you may need to implement in your game in order to be compliant and to be distributed there.
Does the Epic Games store have regional pricing?
Yes, we do support regional pricing. We also have a set of suggested regional discounts based on local norms that are regularly reviewed.
Which currencies do you accept and in which currencies do you display prices?
We currently support local pricing in USD, Great British Pound, Euro, Polish Zloty, Russian Ruble, South Korean Won, Japanese Yen, Turkish Lira, and Ukrainian Hryvnia.
Does the Epic Games store have mandatory sales?
No. While we do plan to offer multi-game sales events, they are voluntary.
How will player feedback and game ratings work on the Epic Games store?
We will offer developers an opt-in ratings system for games on the store in the future.
How do refunds work on the Epic Games store?
We will offer two no-questions-asked refunds per player within two weeks of purchase.
Which payment methods are supported?
The Epic Games store supports credit cards, Paypal, and a variety of alternative payment methods. Approximately 80% of store transactions use credit cards and Paypal. The other 20% comprise alternative payment methods, primarily in countries where credit cards aren’t widely available. Some of these alternate payment methods carry payment processing fees, which Epic charges directly to the purchaser, and are not included in revenue-sharing calculations. This is a list of the alternative payment methods we currently support. Methods carrying additional payment processing fees are marked with an *asterisk.
The about page is also where you find the submission form if you want to publish your own game on the Epic store.