In a move that signals a significant shift in the mobile gaming and app marketplace, Epic Games has announced plans to launch its Epic Games Store on iOS and Android platforms later this year. This announcement comes amidst a backdrop of legal battles and regulatory changes, setting the stage for a major expansion of Epic’s digital distribution platform.
Key Highlights:
- Epic Games has secured an Apple Developer Account, paving the way for the development of the mobile version of the Epic Games Store for iOS in Europe.
- The company has not provided an official launch date but has confirmed that the store will feature a variety of games, including the hit battle royale game Fortnite.
- Epic Games Store boasted 75 million monthly active users in December 2023, with a total spending of $950 million, of which $310 million was on third-party games.
- New features anticipated for the Epic Games Store in 2024 include a revamped download manager, enhanced Offline Mode, support for developer and publisher subscriptions, and pre-loading for pre-purchases.
The journey to this announcement has been fraught with controversy, primarily stemming from Epic’s introduction of its own in-app payment system in Fortnite for iOS. This move bypassed Apple’s standard 30 percent cut on in-app purchases, leading to a legal battle over Apple’s app store policies and whether they constitute anticompetitive behavior. Despite a lengthy legal skirmish in the US, which saw appeals reach as far as the US Supreme Court, the regulatory landscape in the EU, with its Digital Markets Act, has enabled Epic to proceed with its plans in Europe.
As part of this expansion, Epic aims to challenge the current market dynamics by offering an alternative to the dominant app stores, potentially reshaping how apps and games are distributed on mobile platforms. The legal and regulatory battles have underscored the broader debate on digital marketplace monopolies and the right of developers to seek alternative distribution avenues.
With the launch of the Epic Games Store on mobile platforms, Epic is not only looking to bring its successful PC and console game distribution model to a broader audience but also to ignite further discussion and possibly change in how digital marketplaces operate. The move is poised to benefit consumers with more choices and potentially better deals, thanks to competition among app stores.
The upcoming launch of the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android is a landmark event in the digital distribution space. It represents not just an expansion for Epic Games but a challenge to the status quo of mobile app distribution, advocating for a more open and competitive environment that could lead to significant changes in how developers and consumers interact with app marketplaces.
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