Following a blistering federal court ruling against Apple on Wednesday night, Epic Games announced the launch of new storefront webshops, allowing mobile developers across the United States and European Union to bypass 30% app store fees by selling digital goods directly to players.
Court Scolds Apple for Violating Anti-Steering Order
The announcement follows a high-profile legal battle over Apple’s mandatory 30% cut on iOS App Store purchases. A federal judge originally ruled in 2021 that Apple could not stop developers from directing consumers to buy digital items outside its proprietary ecosystem. In a seething court filing on Wednesday night, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers declared that Apple was intentionally violating her 2021 ruling.
Fortnite Returns to iOS with Direct Payment Discounts
Capitalizing on the favorable judicial decree, Epic Games is bringing its flagship title, Fortnite, back to the iOS App Store. The publisher plans to aggressively incentivize users to buy Fortnite’s in-game currency and items directly through Epic, passing on fee savings to players through lower prices.
Game-Changing Revenue Share for Webshops
Through the new Epic Games Store webshops feature, third-party developers can now implement similar direct-to-consumer storefronts. While Epic typically charges a 12% cut—significantly below Apple’s 30% fee—the company is introducing an even more aggressive revenue model starting in June.
Zero Percent Cut on First Million Dollars
Beginning in June, Epic Games will take a 0% commission on the first $1 million in annual revenue earned by each game. Epic will only begin claiming its 12% cut after a title surpasses that $1 million mark.
“With new legal rulings in place, developers will be able to send players from games to make digital purchases from webshops on any platform that allows it, including iOS in the European Union and United States,” Epic stated.
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