Epic Games shifts EU app store strategy after missing target by 71 million users

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Posted:
in iOS edited January 23

Epic Games is launching an additional 19 games for its third-party app store in the EU, once some bugs are worked out, and it has also promised to pay the Core Technology Fee for apps on its store.

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Epic Games hopes to bring new developers to its app store by paying Apple's fees



After the European Union Digital Markets Act mandated that Apple allow third-party app stores, Epic Games jumped on the bandwagon. It launched the store with Fortnite and a slim selection of other titles in August 2024.

According to The Verge, Epic Games is making moves to make its alternative app store more appealing with 19 new third-party titles and some financial incentives for developers. The announcement arrives after it failed to meet a goal of 100 million alternative app store users, reaching only 29 million.

The new games include Bloons TD 6 and Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also shared that the intention is to work to enable cross-platform purchases by offering a single, cross-platform store.

"Our aim here isn't just to launch a bunch of different stores in different places, but to build a single, cross-platform store in which, within the era of multi-platform games, if you buy a game or digital items in one place, you have the ability to own them everywhere," Sweeney said at a press briefing. The hope is, eventually, that a new game will be offered weekly, but it will start with monthly releases at first and ramp up.

The financial incentive offered by Epic to developers is a one-year payment of the Core Technology Fee. Apple requires any developer that has more than one million installs to pay 50 euro cents for every install after the one millionth.

Epic will pay the fee instead for all titles for developers that participate in the Epic Games Store's free games program on iOS or iPadOS devices. This applies to all downloads regardless of which app store the app or game is downloaded from.

The slow adoption of the alternative app store has been blamed on "scare screens" that are shown to users that attempt to install alternative app stores. Fortnite's popularity likely helped with the initial 29 million users, but the game is available on other platforms with fewer hoops to jump through.

As an American game company aspiring to sell mobile games directly to customers, we are grateful for the European Union's Digital Markets Act.

Ironically, the only place an American company compete with Apple's App Store is in Europe. Apple blocks us from competing in the US.

-- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)



Sweeney has had a lot to say about Apple and its App Store policies since it launched a campaign that forced Apple to boot Fortnite from Apple's platforms. It started with a parody video of Apple's 1984 ad starring Fortnite characters.

Regulatory pressure will continue, and Apple is already facing potential fines in the EU for violations of the DMA. However, the new administration may try to force the EU to soften some of its requirements as a favor to Apple.

It begins: Big Tech lobbyists are working to paint the false picture that the incoming administration supports Apple and Google information monopolies, and that European regulators will be bullied into not enforcing EU's pro-competition law. Both lies.https://t.co/b2cjk5n1Xf

-- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)



It remains to be seen how the new administration will treat the Epic vs. Apple situation, given that Apple has sidled up with promises to invest in American infrastructure, while Epic has put all of its force behind EU regulation. In spite of both being American companies, Sweeney's public stance against President Trump will likely not win him any favors.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    That’s a pretty big miss.
    lolliverwatto_cobraBart Y
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  • Reply 2 of 15
    It should be obvious by now that they aren't actually trying to compete with the App Store. Way too small. 
    watto_cobraCesar Battistini MazieroBart Y
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 15
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,557member
    They should get SteamOS running and include a AppleSilicon build give Game developers a single target for their store regardless of the host system of the hardware 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 15
    I'm glad Epic has a Privacy Statement for its app store, but it's not very good. Here's what it says:
    We encourage developers to request the minimum access necessary for their applications to function properly.

    So they "encourage" their developers not to minimize their apps' access to user data. They don't require it. They don't enforce it. 

    by requiring explicit consent for each application and for each type of data being accessed.

    Now that statement is a little better. Although I'm not completely sure how to reconcile it with the previous statement. In any case, does Epic ever punish software developers for not meeting this requirement? Does Epic ever validate any software to ensure this requirement is met, or is Epic just trusting the software developer? I have no idea, so I'm a little scared to trust the Epic Store. If Epic ever wants me to trust them, they should get far more detailed about the mechanics of their system, especially since they don't have a good reputation on user privacy like Apple does.

    JanNLwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 15
    rezwitsrezwits Posts: 911member
    mattinoz said:
    They should get SteamOS running and include a AppleSilicon build give Game developers a single target for their store regardless of the host system of the hardware 
    What's funny is how SteamOS had NO F-ing PROBLEM competing with the AppStore what-so-ever!  Amazing how they even created their own device and so on and so on!

    What a marooooon...

    macxpressForumPostJanNL
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 15
     Seems the attitude of Sweeny is that of a Child throwing every teddy out the pram. All his words about building an App Store and how many titles? Quite an embarrassment as a CEO he needs to focus on their technology and scam as much from developers as he can and has. Build bridges not burn them. Too outspoken never a diplomatic person.
    macxpressJanNLwatto_cobrawilliamlondonBart Y
     5Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 15
    Perhaps what Epic thinks should be free i.e. Apple’s walled garden- actually has value after all?
    watto_cobraBart Y
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 15


    I'm glad Epic has a Privacy Statement for its app store, but it's not very good. Here's what it says:
    We encourage developers to request the minimum access necessary for their applications to function properly.

    So they "encourage" their developers not to minimize their apps' access to user data. They don't require it. They don't enforce it. 

    by requiring explicit consent for each application and for each type of data being accessed.

    Now that statement is a little better. Although I'm not completely sure how to reconcile it with the previous statement. In any case, does Epic ever punish software developers for not meeting this requirement? Does Epic ever validate any software to ensure this requirement is met, or is Epic just trusting the software developer? I have no idea, so I'm a little scared to trust the Epic Store. If Epic ever wants me to trust them, they should get far more detailed about the mechanics of their system, especially since they don't have a good reputation on user privacy like Apple does.

    I'm glad Epic has a Privacy Statement for its app store, but it's not very good. Here's what it says:
    We encourage developers to request the minimum access necessary for their applications to function properly.

    So they "encourage" their developers not to minimize their apps' access to user data. They don't require it. They don't enforce it. 

    by requiring explicit consent for each application and for each type of data being accessed.

    Now that statement is a little better. Although I'm not completely sure how to reconcile it with the previous statement. In any case, does Epic ever punish software developers for not meeting this requirement? Does Epic ever validate any software to ensure this requirement is met, or is Epic just trusting the software developer? I have no idea, so I'm a little scared to trust the Epic Store. If Epic ever wants me to trust them, they should get far more detailed about the mechanics of their system, especially since they don't have a good reputation on user privacy like Apple does.

    You are deliberately misinterpreting their policies or not understanding them. You take this statement out of context. 

    As a game developer myself and having dealt with their policies, to clarify their “We encourage developers to request the minimum access necessary for their applications to function properly”, it is to be read in the context of: “don’t request more than the minimum”.

    They are encouraging developers NOT to ask for unnecessary permissions. And as the same sentence states: “to function properly”. 

    The alternative is that an app doesn’t ask you for the minimum permissions and then fails to operate.

    The Epic store is actually more strict than say Steam that runs on PC. They respond to complaints and they let developers sign strict agreements. 

    Since iOS is a very safe platform where everything is compartmentalized and still enforces OS level concepts such as asking the user for each individual permission as well as app notarization, the fact that you downloaded it from Epic vs App Store doesn’t mean a lot to your safety. They are both safe. 

    The only thing you’d miss is the App Store review process, which in my experience is a flawed concept that doesn’t scale. I’ve seen apps accepted that are harmful, and apps denied which weren’t. With over 2000 apps being released on a daily basis, it’s a losing game. Don’t expect too much of that review process. It worked at some point, now it’s mainly Apple propaganda to justify their App Store remaining the only store in town. 

    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
     1Like 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 15
    EU Citizen here, I trust Apples AppStore and won't be installing any other. As for Tim Sweeney and Epic store, I wouldn't trust any of them any longer than I could throw them!
    edited January 24
    ForumPostwatto_cobrawilliamlondonBart Y
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 15
    rezwits said:
    mattinoz said:
    They should get SteamOS running and include a AppleSilicon build give Game developers a single target for their store regardless of the host system of the hardware 
    What's funny is how SteamOS had NO F-ing PROBLEM competing with the AppStore what-so-ever!  Amazing how they even created their own device and so on and so on!

    What a marooooon...


    Except that Steam (SteamOS is an operating system, not a store) doesn't really "compete" with Apple's app store.  They serve two different markets, with little overlap.  Steam sells PC games, many of which also work on the multitude of handheld gaming machines that have hit the market since Steam Deck was released, which are basically lower powered PCs in a handheld form factor.  Apple's store serves the phone and iPad market, along with Macs.

    The overwhelming majority of games for which Apple provides a platform are not in the same category as the ones Steam sells.  Many Steam served games will run on a Mac, but looking at Steam's stats, which they publish every month, Steam on Mac OS comprises less than 2% of all users, with Windows at 96%.  Even Linux beats out MacOS, at about 2.25% as of the last survey.

    As for non-gaming apps, again, there's no competition.  Apple serves many apps in many categories for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.  Steams servers up a few non-game apps, but the vast majority of those are gaming adjacent, such as Blender, along with a host of utilities that help controllers work better, provide aids in VR, and such.

    watto_cobratiredskills
     0Likes 1Dislike 1Informative
  • Reply 11 of 15
    beowulfschmidt said: Except that Steam (SteamOS is an operating system, not a store) doesn't really "compete" with Apple's app store.  They serve two different markets, with little overlap. 
    The overlap is with consumers that can be considered "gamers", which I would personally define as people who are interested in playing games across multiple platforms. Not everyone who plays games on mobile fits that description, but a significant percentage do. The "whales" that spend large amounts of $$ on mobile gaming are very likely to be "gamers", for example. So every gaming platform is in competition for those "gamer" dollars. 
    edited January 24
    tiredskillswatto_cobra
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  • Reply 12 of 15
    Hey Epic Games! BWAAAAHAHAHAHA. No one should trust you. 
    watto_cobraBart Y
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 15
    davidwdavidw Posts: 2,129member
    That’s a pretty big miss.

    So far, that is the most massive understatement of the year.


    The Epic Games alt app store is available on iOS in the EU and on Android Worldwide. There are 3.3B Android users Worldwide. So Sweeney expecting 100M users in their alternative app store was just 3% of all the Android users Worldwide (not including the 120M iOS users in the EU). That is setting the bar very low to begin with. And Epic only got 29M. That's less than 1% (.089%) of all Android users Worldwide (not including the iOS users in the EU). Not only did Sweeney fail to clear the low bar he set, he fell flat on his face before the jump.

    Why would any developer want to put their apps in the Epic Games alt app store to reach less than 1% of the mobile users, even for just a 12% commission. All of a sudden, having your app available Worldwide in the Google Play Store and/or Apple App Store and paying the applicable commission, makes perfect business sense. Too many don't realize that the Google and Apple commission includes having access to their app stores loyal customer base.


    watto_cobraBart Ymuthuk_vanalingam
     2Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 14 of 15
    I find it interesting that Epic states that it is a USA Company and seems to forget that it is owned by the Chinese. Or have I got that wrong? Apart from that issue he’s distorted so much information that I could never bring myself to trust any store associated with him. 
    muthuk_vanalingam
     0Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 15
    I find it interesting that Epic states that it is a USA Company and seems to forget that it is owned by the Chinese. Or have I got that wrong? Apart from that issue he’s distorted so much information that I could never bring myself to trust any store associated with him. 
    Sweeney is the majority owner of Epic, Tencent owns around 40%. 
    muthuk_vanalingam
     0Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
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