Epic Games has announced that it will be offering developers 100% of revenue generated for the first six months if the game is signed exclusively to the Epic Games Store.
The announcement came during GDC and is a part of Epic’s new ‘Now on Epic’ program. Epic had previously introduced one of the best revenue splits in the industry at 88% to developers, and 12% to Epic Games, but the move marks a new stage for the publisher.
As outlined in the Epic Games blog, after six months of 100% revenue to developers, the revenue split will go back to the publisher’s standard 88/12 split. For developers, the announcement could mean a huge increase in revenues as the majority of game sales generally happen within the first few months of a game’s release.
Participating in this program requires a commitment to release a minimum of three products that have been released prior to October 31, 2023 and are currently live on another third-party PC storefront (or are included in a third-party subscription service). Participants that do not have three products currently live that meet the above criteria must bring over all products that are live. All participating products must launch by June 30, 2025, though they do not need to launch on the Epic Games Store at the same time.Â
You can read a Q/A on the program below:
What is the Now On Epic program?
Now On Epic is a back catalog incentive program that offers developers and publishers the opportunity to boost their net revenue from user spending on eligible products from 88% to 100% in their first six months after release on the Epic Games Store for any game released before October 31, 2023 on another third-party PC store or included in a third-party subscription service.
When the product has been available for 6 months on the Epic Games Store, the revenue share captured from user spending will revert to Epic’s industry-leading 88%/12%.
You can enroll in the program until December 31, 2024, and all eligible products must be released on the Epic Games Store by June 30, 2025.
Who can participate?
This program is open to developers and publishers with registered Epic Games developer accounts and eligible products that launched on another storefront or service before October 31, 2023.
Which products are eligible for the program?
Any eligible product that has been previously released and is currently live on another third-party PC store or included in a third-party subscription service available on another third-party PC store. If you have three or more eligible products on a third-party store or third-party subscription service, you must bring at least three of them to Epic Games Store. If you have less than three, you must bring all of those products to Epic Games Store. Because blockchain, distributed ledger, NFT and other similar products may not use Epic-administered payment methods per Epic’s platform terms, they may not participate.
Do Early Access products qualify for the Now On Epic program?
Yes, any products released as Early Access are eligible for this program.
How do I get an Epic Developer account?
To create an account, go to the Developer Portal website at dev.epicgames.com/portal and follow the instructions to sign in then register your organization and products. For more information, please see our Developer Portal account creation guide.
Can I release a product now and then apply for the Now On Epic program at a later date?
Only products released on another third-party PC storefront or third-party subscription service before October 31, 2023 are eligible for the Now On Epic program. Consider launching through the Epic First Run program for similar benefits for new products.Â
How do I sign up for the Now On Epic program?
Registration is available through the Epic Games Store Developer Community. Simply log in and start a private discussion with the topic Epic Games Store and the subtopic ‘Now On Epic’. If you’re already a partner, please reach out to your Epic Games Store account manager directly.Â
General questions about the program? Head over to the Epic Games Store Developer Community to connect with our staff and other developers on this topic and more. If you have a confidential question, please log in and start a private discussion with the topic Epic Games Store and the subtopic ‘Now On Epic’. If you’re already a partner, please reach out to your Epic Games Store account manager directly.Â
How do I release my product on the Epic Games Store?
It has never been easier to bring your products to the Epic Games Store. In March this year, we launched our self-service publishing tools to streamline the onboarding and release process. The tools allow developers to register, set up, test, and distribute their products all directly through the Epic Developer Portal.
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