## Epic Games Empowers Developers with Webshops, Bypassing App Store Fees After Legal Victory
Epic Games is capitalizing on its recent legal triumph over Apple. Following a years-long dispute, the company announced that its Epic Games Store will now enable developers to launch their own webshops. These webshops will allow players to make purchases directly, outside of the confines of the app stores, effectively circumventing the hefty fees imposed by Apple and Google.
The move stems from Epic’s long-standing legal battle against Apple concerning its iOS App Store fees, which take a substantial 30% cut of developer earnings. While a 2021 ruling prevented Apple from blocking developers from directing users to external purchase options, a recent filing revealed that Apple was intentionally flouting that ruling.
Now, Epic plans to bring its flagship title, Fortnite, back to the iOS App Store, incentivizing players to make in-game purchases directly through Epic to receive better pricing. The new webshop feature extends this benefit to other developers, making it significantly easier for them to offer alternative purchase pathways to their users.
While Epic Games Store typically takes a 12% share of developer earnings, a more favorable rate than Apple’s, the company is further sweetening the deal. Starting in June, Epic will waive its cut on the first $1 million each game earns annually. Only after a game surpasses this revenue threshold will Epic begin to take its share.
“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 announced, marking a significant shift in the app store ecosystem and handing more control and revenue back to developers. This could have a ripple effect across the industry, potentially forcing other app stores to re-evaluate their commission structures.
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