Epic Games Faces Challenge in Mobile Store Amid App Store Controversies

Brussels, Belgium – The European Commission has imposed a €500 million fine on Apple for violations of the Digital Markets Act, reigniting discussions about competition in the mobile gaming sector. In this heated environment, Epic Games is struggling to promote its mobile Epic Games Store, which aims to attract more players.

Epic Games has been giving away free titles weekly to entice players. While this strategy has worked for its PC platform, experts question its effectiveness on mobile, where most games are already free. Games like ‘Kingdom Come: Deliverance‘ and ‘Vampire Survivors‘ are drawing attention on PC, but it remains uncertain if mobile users will be motivated to install the Epic Games Store for titles such as ‘Loop Hero‘ and ‘Chuchel.’

As of now, Epic’s mobile store has only garnered about 30 million installs, falling short of its goal of 100 million by 2024. The platform has largely remained quiet since its launch, and its flagship game, ‘Fortnite,’ functions primarily as a launcher.

Many still trust traditional app stores like Apple’s and Google’s, as these platforms have yet to face significant competition from other stores. Developers have adapted by utilizing webshops to bypass the 30% commission charged by these app stores. Until a compelling alternative appears, it’s unlikely that most players will switch.

Epic’s activism against Apple and Google has indeed driven some changes in the gaming landscape. However, the core issues, such as revenue sharing, remain. Developers are finding ways to redirect traffic to webshops to retain more earnings, a trend likely to continue as players prefer added benefits such as more in-game currency.

Though Epic has done well in advocating for developers in the mobile gaming space, it faces hurdles in making its mobile store appealing and competitive. The prospect of seeing ‘Fortnite’ return to regular app stores with a robust webshop remains uncertain, requiring cooperation from various players, which seems unlikely in the near future.