According to CEO Tim Sweeney, the Epic Games Store may be making the jump to mobile sooner rather than later.
Speaking to gaming industry newsletter Axios, Sweeney told them that as a result of Epic exerting pressure on both Google and Apple over their third-party store policies, they anticipated that stores such as the EGS would soon find their way onto mobile. In fact, so certain is Sweeney that legislation will push the Epic Game Store onto app stores that, when asked if the apps were ready, he answered “Yes, we have them.”
The implication then, is that Epic anticipates success in their legal battles with the mobile giants and that this will then lead to their venture making its way onto iOS and Android devices. He also indicated a shift from the oft maligned practice of timed exclusives on the platform.
“The message is definitely changing from ‘we’re the place to go to do exclusive partnership deals’ to ‘we’re a great option that you should be launching with the same time you launch everywhere else across console and PC,’” he said.
An unreal move
Epic Games’ years long legal battle with Apple that began after the company directed players outside of the App Store to make purchases for their mega-hit battle-royale, Fortnite, has already seen questions being asked and rulings being made for Apple to cease its anti-steering policies. Other mobile-first companies such as Supercell have pursued alternative purchase methods, such as their web store and if other companies have followed suit before so quickly, Epic has good reason to be confident in bringing their storefront to mobile.
As was noted in the newsletter, Epic has seen mixed success in their legal challenges, and public opinion has been divided as the company publicly butts heads with the mobile giants. However, regardless of theirtactics it appears that Sweeney has succeeded in bringing these questions to regulators and sparking action over them.
Aside from games, it seems that Epic is not just content to build a new games store, but an entire alternative storefront on mobile. As Sweeney elaborated, the company has ambitions to build a whole new ecosystem, one that will not just see them spar with but actively compete against mobile giants on their home turf.