News Epic Games Store

[Arc]

Epic unveils bold plan to pay penalties levied by Apple to tempt developers onto its mobile store

Epic Games has announced a fresh push to convince app developers to launch their games on the company's fledgling mobil…

www.eurogamer.net

"The word for spending more money than you're making intentionally when you have a great business underneath is investment, and that's is what we see this as. It's an investment in Epic's future, both our future developer as a game developer ourselves - we see a much greater opportunity for Fortnite's future if iOS is open, and competition is allowed on iOS and Android, but we also see opportunities for all developers, and because we have businesses serving all developers such as Unreal Engine and Epic Games Store and our online services."

He hasn't learned a thing considering that is the exact same wording as the layoff memo from 2023. I wouldn't be surprised to read about another round of them in the future.

 

[Arc]

https://www.ign.com/articles/tim-sweeney-says-epic-can-afford-to-keep-spending-billions-fighting-apple-and-google-for-the-future-of-fortnite-on-mobile-for-decades-to-come

Speaking to outlets including IGN ahead of today’s announcement, Sweeney said Epic had invested over $1 billion in the Epic Games Store so far. Sweeney also said Epic has been spending more money than it’s making every year “because we choose to reinvest in growth.” And it’s pumping “the greater part” of $1 billion a year trying to expand its business into mobile — including its fight with Apple and Google.

EGS is still unprofitable. Remember when it was supposed to reach profitability like uh, several years ago?

 

[curi0usBystander]

EGS is still unprofitable. Remember when it was supposed to reach profitability like uh, several years ago?

That tracks, I don't remember if it was Epics projection or an Apple projection (during the trial) that said that the store would not be profitable until 2027 (but I don't think that was factoring the mobile initiative so ...)

 

[thekeats1999]

I mean, they still have plenty of people they can lay off to fund his ego.

and even I am unsure if this counts as sarcasm or reality.

 

[Alextended]

Can't wait for Timmy to launch an Unreal Engine optimized (both ways of course) Epic Games Console and then start legally warring against every company not putting their games on it as anti consumer bragging about how he's doing it for the gamers to unshackle games from mediocre hardware. Many (idiots) will clap.

 

[Arc]

It's Joever.

That tracks, I don't remember if it was Epics projection or an Apple projection (during the trial) that said that the store would not be profitable until 2027 (but I don't think that was factoring the mobile initiative so ...)

Epic expected a cumulative profit by 2027, but an operating profit by 2023.

Can't wait for Timmy to launch an Unreal Engine optimized (both ways of course) Epic Games Console and then start legally warring against every company not putting their games on it as anti consumer bragging about how he's doing it for the gamers to unshackle games from mediocre hardware. Many (idiots) will clap.

Epic doesn't have the chops to make hardware. My prediction is they'll team up with Microsoft to have EGS on the next Xbox, and then use that to backstab Sony and Nintendo to litigating EGS on their hardware.

 

[Arc]

Rezoning pulled for Epic Games' planned Cary Towne Center headquarters, future of site unknown :: WRAL.com

The future of the former site of Cary Towne Center is once again up in the air as Cary officials pulled the rezoning request for Epic Games' planned headquarters late in 2024.

The gaming company applied for a rezoning request of Cary Towne Center in 2021 after purchasing the property that same year, but according to the town of Cary’s rezoning website, the request was withdrawn on Dec. 6 due to “inactivity.”

"If an applicant is fails to pursue a rezoning application for a period of six months, the application shall be deemed withdrawn," Town of Cary Assistant Planning Director Katie Drye wrote in a letter obtained by WRAL News. “It has been more than six months since staff has been made aware of any activity on the above-referenced rezoning case."

The former Cary Towne Center has been empty for years, but the Cary company behind one of the world’s most popular games, Fortnite, applied for rezoning to turn the former mall into its new headquarters.

"If you're just going to sit on it, there has to be some limitation on when things would expire," he said. "Rules might change. Maybe preferences might change. So if it could be open ended forever, that could be problematic for both the developer and Cary."


Here's a timeline of the Cary Towne Center and Epic Games' history with the site.

• Jan. 3, 2021: Epic Games purchases Cary Towne Center site for new headquarters, with completion scheduled for 2024.
• Jan. 31, 2021: Cary Towne Center closes.
• May 21, 2021: Epic Games' rezoning request accepted by Cary officials.
• July 14, 2021: Meetings held around Cary to discuss plan for new headquarters.
• Dec. 8, 2021: Permit for demolition of Cary Towne Center requested.
• Dec. 16, 2021: Public hearing held at Cary Town Council meeting to discuss how Epic Games will use new site.
• April 29, 2022: Final piece of Cary Towne Center torn down.
• Nov. 30, 2023: Cary town official confirms Epic Games to that point had not filed development plans with the town.
• Dec. 6, 2024: Rezoning request pulled by Cary officials after "inactivity."

According to the town of Cary, the current zoning for the property remains as approved for the Carolina Yards project, a development that would of provided thousands of office, commercial and residential spaces to the area.

Berry said he doesn't have concerns about how the property will be used in the future, whether by Epic Games or another project.

"When I think about any location in Cary, I get always get excited," he said. "The former mall site is a great location...As they contemplate what will go there, We'll work with them and it will be an exciting outcome."

The town said if Epic Games wants to continue with its plan to make the former mall its new headquarters, they will have to submit another rezoning plan.

In a statement to WRAL News, Epic Games said they have no updates to their plans for Cary Towne Center, but will remain headquartered in Cary.

Epic probably won't be building that new headquarters. They'll likely sell off the land in a few years for a tidy profit.

 

[CommodoreKong]

Not super surprised by this. I think I mentioned it here but one of my coworkers lives in the Raleigh area and knows someone laid off during their big layoff by Epic who had an office manager type role.
There was more he knew that he didn’t want to tell me, may have been some inside info about the HQ but I’m not sure.

 

[lashman]

via BernardoOne:

 

[Ge0force]

I'm looking forward to Epic's year in review. Should arrive somewhere this month.

 

[Arc]

PSN has been down for over 12 hours and it's affecting Fortnite big time. From comparing the numbers at this time last week, you can see Playstation is a bit over half the total userbase. IIRC that matches up pretty nicely with that document from the Apple trial where Playstation was about half of its revenue. My own guess is PS is about 50%, Xbox 25%, PC 15-20%, Switch 5-10% and mobile is nominal.

 

[Arc]

Releases - Remedy Investors

investors.remedygames.com

Alan Wake 2 sold 2 million copies as of the end of 2024 and is finally profitable.

 

[Arc]

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/news/epic-games-store-2024-year-in-review

74 million MAU (-1%)
$1.09 billion revenue (+15%)
$255 million third party revenue (-18%)

Edit:

We’ve stated that when you succeed we succeed, and the ways developers are succeeding on the Store continues to evolve beyond our traditional measure of third-party revenue we see from our native payment solution. It's not only growth in DAU and MAU that highlight how big the market opportunity is on the Epic Game Store, but third-party gametime as well, which grew from 2.41 Billion hours in 2023, to 2.68 Billion in 2024; a 11% increase year over year.

That's same damn fine spin. Whoever writes these posts should look into a career in politics.

 

[jads653]

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/news/epic-games-store-2024-year-in-review

74 million MAU (-1%)
$1.09 billion revenue (+15%)
$255 million third party revenue (-18%)

Edit:



That's same damn fine spin. Whoever writes these posts should look into a career in politics.

 

[ExistentialThought]

These numbers are even worse than I would have ever predicted. I figured third party spend at worst, would be $300-350M given the sheer number of simultaneous releases and factoring that maybe the coupons and such were impacting how they were reporting spend. To have it drop even further after last year and those poor results? Holy cow.

They really need the mobile store to take off in a major way otherwise I do not see how this is going to go anywhere.

Also using EOS accounts to boost your players and play times...

 

[curi0usBystander]

$255 million third party revenue (-18%)

HOW ? Like they keep adding more games, but they make less money.

 

[lashman]

Also using EOS accounts to boost your players and play times...

now you know why, like, half of new steam releases auto-installs that shit without even asking

 

[Arc]

Alan Wake 2 outselling Wukong sure is something. I think it's safe to say Madjoki's website was pretty accurate.

HOW ? Like they keep adding more games, but they make less money.

No coupons were offered last year which gutted third party sales. At best the prices are 5% better than Steam (cash back program) and worse than key sites. Also their 2024 third party revenue was only $5 million more than in 2019.

 

[STHX]

$255 million third party revenue (-18%)

 

[Paul]

That third party revenue is hilarious, EGS really is dead.

But, who are these people that still spend 255M there? Seriously, why would anyone do that.

 

[Parsnip]

Yeah that third party spending going down from last year, oof. Last years was already abysmal, and it going down even more is just wow.

 

[fantomena]

Lol, Alan Wake 2 sold better than Wukong and AW2 sold terrible.

 

[Arc]

That third party revenue is hilarious, EGS really is dead.

But, who are these people that still spend 255M there? Seriously, why would anyone do that.

Probably Mihoyo users. Epic's new cope is that big F2P games forego their payment processor, but Mihoyo titles use it. I wouldn't be surprised if Gehshin, HSR and ZZZ are over 50% of the total third party spend.

 

[CommodoreKong]

That third party revenue is hilarious, EGS really is dead.

But, who are these people that still spend 255M there? Seriously, why would anyone do that.

I would guess most of the third party revenue is micro transactions for GaaS. Epic gave away GTA5 a few years ago so I would guess a lot of it is people who got GTA for free and are buying stuff in GTA Online.

 

[Ge0force]

But, who are these people that still spend 255M there? Seriously, why would anyone do that.

EGS is cheaper in certain countries and there are very few games that appeal to the Fortnite audience.

Anyway, -18% for 3rd party sales is a lot worse than I expected. I don't understand that devs and publishers still bother to release their games on EGS.

 

[lashman]

meanwhile:

Gaming News (@GamingNews@meta.masto.host)

Attached: 1 image PC Gamer just posted: Epic gave away nearly 600 million games in 2024, and it's 'not slowing down' for 2025 The Epic Games Store's slow, steady growth continues, as 1,100 more games were added to the storefront...

meta.masto.host

 

[Ge0force]

Incredible. They don't even mention the significant drop in 3rd party sales. Same for some of the local media here. How can games journalism still be so bad nowadays?

 

[curi0usBystander]

So... ehmm, looking at the numbers again. Did palworld generate more revenue in its first few weeks than the whole store in a year (of third party revenue) ?

 

[Arc]

Last year it was at 17.7 million MAU so they're combining PC and mobile users which is annoying because it muddies the waters. Wouldn't be surprised if one day EGS technically has more EU users than Steam because mobile is an order of magnitude bigger than PC gaming.

One thing I noticed is the number of new PC accounts dropped pretty heavily in 2024 and only gained 25 million. For comparison:

2020 was 52 million new accounts (108 -> 160)
2021 was 34 million new accounts (160 -> 194)
2022 was 36 million new accounts (196 -> 230)
2023 was 40 million new accounts (230 -> 270)

So... ehmm, looking at the numbers again. Did palworld generate more revenue in its first few weeks than the whole store in a year (of third party revenue) ?

It was last reported Palworld sold 15 million copies on Steam. If the average price per game sold was $17 then yeah Palworld alone made more than all third party sales.

 

[Stone Ocean]

I would guess most of the third party revenue is micro transactions for GaaS. Epic gave away GTA5 a few years ago so I would guess a lot of it is people who got GTA for free and are buying stuff in GTA Online.

GTAV Genshin and HSR are listed among the top earners in the report, Rockstar and Mihoyo are straight up carrying EGS' corpse Weekend at Bernie's style and even then third party revenue is fucking dire because these are some of the most profitable games in the market and all they can cook is 255 million??