Epic Games Offers 100% Revenue Share for Six-Month Exclusivity

Epic Games is launching a new initiative dubbed First Run, which allows game developers to retain 100% of their net sales revenue. In exchange, participating titles must commit to a six-month period of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store starting in mid-October.

Incentives Beyond Revenue

The program aims to lure developers frustrated by the industry-standard 30% commission fee charged by competitors like Steam. While the Epic Games Store already maintains a more favorable 12% cut for non-exclusive titles, First Run adds further promotional weight to the deal. Developers who join will receive:

• Exclusive badging on the platform.
• Priority homepage placements.
• Inclusion in dedicated store collections.
• Visibility in relevant campaigns, including sales events and editorial features.

The Exclusivity Trade-off

The core challenge for developers is balancing a larger slice of a potentially smaller audience. Steam remains the primary platform for PC gaming, and many studios have reported that sales on the Epic Games Store represent only a fraction of their total PC revenue when compared to Steam’s reach.

Historically, Epic secured exclusivity by providing large, upfront cash guarantees. These payments acted as a financial safety net for independent studios, allowing them to cover operational costs regardless of immediate unit sales. First Run shifts this model away from upfront payments toward a revenue-based incentive.

Market Viability

Critics point out that Epic’s platform still lacks the robust community features that have made Steam a staple of the PC ecosystem, such as its extensive user review system. For smaller teams, the risk of losing access to the Steam marketplace may outweigh the benefits of a 100% revenue split.

However, the program may prove attractive to larger publishers. Studios launching high-profile games that do not have their own proprietary storefronts may find the increased visibility and total revenue retention a compelling reason to test the Epic ecosystem. Whether this strategy will finally allow Epic to challenge Steam’s market position remains to be seen, as the company continues to search for ways to build long-term user loyalty beyond its frequent game giveaways.