Along side the announcement of Unreal Engine 5.5, Epic games just announced Launch Everywhere with Epic. In a nutshell this program will enable you to cut your Unreal Engine royalty from 5% to 3.5% with one major caveat. Your games need to launch before or during the launch on other game stores, including consoles.
Details of the Launcher Everywhere with Epic program:
On January 1, 2025 we are introducing ‘Launch Everywhere with Epic’. Through this program we are offering a royalty rate reduction from 5% to 3.5% on all platforms and stores for eligible Unreal Engine games published on the Epic Games Store from 2025 onwards. You are eligible for this rate reduction if you ship your game on the Epic Games Store before or at the same time you release it on other stores on corresponding platforms you support (PC, Mac, Android, and in the future, iOS). This is inclusive of games participating in Epic First Run.
The royalty reduction will apply for all platforms and stores where you offer your games, including consoles. The royalty rate will revert to 5% if you offer your Unreal Engine game on another PC or Android store and do not offer it on the Epic Games Store for the corresponding platform.
To benefit when the program launches, you’ll need to agree to the now updated Unreal Engine EULA.
We are temporarily waiving the requirement that you simultaneously ship your iOS games on the Epic Games Store on iPhones or iPads to receive the royalty rate reduction. This is because Apple currently imposes a commercially prohibitive ‘Core Technology Fee’ on apps that ship on stores that compete with their store. If this changes, we will give licensees a minimum of four months notice.
More details on the royalty reduction will be shared ahead of January 1 so developers will have ample time to plan.
In other Epic Games Store news, Studio Wildcard revealed ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition, developed by Grove Street Games, will be coming to the Epic Games Store later this year on Android and iOS in the EU.
You can learn more about the program in their Unreal Fest Seattle summary blog or learn more about this announcement as well as other new Unreal Engine details in the video below.