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Epic Games is Launching Webshops to Allow Developers to Circumvent App Store Fees After New Ruling
In a major move, Epic Games announced today that its Epic Games Store will now permit developers to open webshops, allowing them to sidestep the notoriously high fees charged by app stores. This new feature comes on the heels of a significant ruling in the company’s ongoing legal battle with Apple.
The news is a victory for game developers and others who have long been seeking ways to reduce their dependence on app store behemoths like Apple and Google, which take as much as 30% of a developer’s earnings. Epic Games has been at odds with Apple over these fees, and today’s announcement marks a major win in the company’s fight.
In a statement, Epic emphasized that its new webshops feature will empower developers to sell digital goods directly to players, cutting out app stores altogether. This move is likely to send shockwaves through the gaming industry and beyond, as it opens up new revenue streams for developers who were previously locked into restrictive contracts with Apple and Google.
Epic’s decision comes after a judge ruled that Apple cannot stop developers from directing customers to buy digital goods outside of the company’s ecosystem. The ruling was seen as a major blow to Apple, which had long sought to maintain its stranglehold on app store transactions.
In related news, Epic Games has also announced plans to offer a more developer-friendly revenue-sharing model. Starting in June, the company will not take a cut from the first $1 million each game earns annually, effectively giving developers a free pass on their initial revenue streams. Only after a game eclipses this threshold will Epic begin taking a cut.
The implications of this move are far-reaching, and we can expect to see a significant shift in the way app stores operate in the coming months.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/01/epic-games-is-launching-webshops-to-allow-developers-to-circumvent-app-store-fees-after-new-ruling/
