CARY – Epic Games is offering developers up to 100% of revenue generated by a new title if it’s listed exclusively in Epic’s Game Store.
The program was announced Wednesday. It’s called the “Epic First Run” program.
The 100% offer is for six months. Games then convert to the standard Epic store split.
“Participating products in the Epic First Run program will be presented to those users on-store with new exclusive badging, homepage placements, and dedicated collections,” the Cary-based gaming giant explained.
“In addition, products will be featured in relevant store campaigns including sales, events, and editorial as applicable. Once a product joins the program, it will benefit from continued exposure throughout its Epic First Run.”
Epic already offers developers a 12%-88% revenue split with developers getting the lion’s share.
Steam, Apple and Google are among other companies providing online outlets for game sales. Epic has sued Apple and Google over the size of its fees charged for online sales.
According to Epic, its game store has more than 230 million players – 68 million active per month.
“The new program gives developers of any scale the opportunity to activate our global audience right at launch,” Epic said.
Eligible for the program are neew releases made on or after Oct. 16.
FAQ
Here’s an FAQ from Epic about the program.
What is the Epic First Run program?
Epic First Run is an opt-in exclusivity program that offers third-party developers 100% net revenue of user spending on eligible products in their first six months of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store. When the exclusivity period ends, the revenue share captured from user spending will revert to 88%/12%.
Who can participate?
This program is open to developers and publishers with registered Epic Games developer accounts and eligible products launching on or after October 16, 2023.
What products are eligible for the program?
A new release game or app which has not been previously released on another third-party PC store or included in a subscription service available on another third-party PC store.
Games or apps with a pre-existing exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store are not eligible for the program.
How do I get an Epic Developer account?
To create an account, go to the Developer Portal website at dev.epicgames.com/portal and follow the instructions to sign in then register your organization and products. For more information, please see our Developer Portal account creation guide.
Can I still release a product on my first-party store or website?
Yes. Products in the Epic First Run program can also be released simultaneously on publishers’ and developers’ own stores or launchers with direct sales, sale of an Epic digital redemption code, or integration with our keyless redemption program. Please note, keyless distribution will require technical work to implement for developer or publisher’s launcher and/or store.
Developers and publishers can also use the Epic Games Store’s keyless redemption program to sell on other stores including Green Man Gaming, Humble Store and several others. After the six-month exclusivity period ends, developers are welcome to release their products on other third-party stores, while continuing to benefit from Epic’s 88%12% revenue share.
How do I sign up for the Epic First Run program?
We will open registration through our self-publishing flow in the Epic Developer portal in October 2023. Check our information page for updates!
General questions about the program? Head over to the Epic Games Store Developer Community to connect with our staff and other developers on this topic and more. If you have a confidential question, please log in and start a private discussion with the topic Epic Games Store and the subject ‘Epic First Run’. If you’re already a partner, please reach out to your Epic Games Store account manager directly.
How do I release my product on the Epic Games Store?
It has never been easier to bring your games to the Epic Games Store. In March this year, we launched our self-service publishing tools to streamline the onboarding and release process. The tools allow developers to register, set up, test and distribute their games all directly through the Epic Developer Portal.
Read more about the benefits and requirements of self-publishing on the Epic Games Store in our self-publishing tools announce blog, and visit our distribution page to sign up.
