Epic Games has reportedly taken bold steps towards strengthening its mobile app store by adding around 20 third-party games to its platform. The expansion will further include availability on Android globally and iOS in the European Union (EU), leveraging changes brought by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Epic has been planning to introduce a free games program which will start with Bloons TD 6 and Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee, which will offer monthly freebies before transitioning to a weekly schedule.
Supporting developers with fee coverage
To attract developers, Epic will cover the Core Technology Fee (CTF)—a 0.50 Euro fee (around Rs 45) per iOS app install for third-party marketplaces after 1 million annual downloads.
This support will last for a year and will aim to remove barriers created by Apple’s policies. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney called the CTF “ruinous” and said this step is necessary to enable competition in app stores.
A fight for App store freedom
Epic has criticized Apple’s restrictions, which it claims congested competition and make it difficult for the developers to list games on alternative platforms. While the company acknowledges that it will incur financial losses by paying the CTF, Sweeney says it is a necessary step to break what he calls a “logjam” in the industry.
EU leads the way, US lags behind
The iOS version of the Epic Games Store is currently and exclusively available in the EU market, because of the DMA- which forces Apple to open its ecosystem to competition.
Epic hopes that the stricter will enforce the DMA which will pave the way for a fairer mobile app market. Sweeney lamented the lack of similar freedoms in the US, where restrictions prevent users from downloading apps like Fortnite on iOS.
Challenges in growing user base
Despite its efforts, Epic’s mobile app store has struggled to meet its goals, achieving just 29 million installs by the end of 2024—far below its target of 100 million. Sweeney attributes this shortfall to barriers like mobile “scare screens” that deter over 50% of potential users from installing the store.
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