Epic Games Launches Webshops to Bypass App Store Fees

Epic Games is rolling out a new webshop feature for its store, providing developers with a direct pathway to circumvent the commission fees typically charged by Apple and Google. This move follows a significant legal development in the long-standing dispute over mobile platform control.

The core of this shift lies in the ability to steer players toward out-of-app purchases. By utilizing these webshops, developers can offer digital goods directly to consumers, avoiding the 30% cut that Apple historically extracts from transactions within its iOS ecosystem.

Legal Context and Judicial Intervention

The initiative gains momentum from a recent rebuke delivered to Apple. While a 2021 court ruling originally established that Apple could not prohibit developers from directing users to external payment methods, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers recently issued a pointed filing stating that Apple has been intentionally circumventing that mandate.

With this legal landscape, Epic is reintroducing Fortnite to the iOS App Store. The company plans to incentivize players to complete transactions through its own platform by offering more competitive pricing compared to in-app alternatives.

New Revenue Sharing Model

To further attract developers to its ecosystem, Epic Games is updating its own revenue-sharing structure. Under the current standard, Epic retains a 12% share of earnings, but the company is implementing a more favorable policy starting in June:

• The first $1 million in annual revenue for each game will be entirely commission-free.
• Epic’s standard 12% cut will only apply to revenue generated after a title exceeds the $1 million threshold.

According to the company, these webshops will be accessible on any platform that permits such navigation, specifically including iOS markets in the United States and the European Union. This official update marks a pivotal shift in how digital storefronts handle cross-platform commerce and developer compensation.