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Epic Games is changing how game developers get paid on its digital store. A new revenue model will allow creators to keep more of what they earn, and that shift could reshape the market for indie and Web3 game studios.
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Epic Games Store already offered a better revenue share than many of its rivals, with developers keeping 88% of their sales. Now, that deal has improved. Each year, developers will keep 100% of the first $1 million in net revenue per title. After crossing that threshold, the usual 88/12 split resumes.
That annual reset makes the change especially useful for teams with small portfolios or limited releases. Games do not need to hit blockbuster status to benefit. By comparison, Valve’s Steam platform keeps a 30% cut by default and only reduces that rate for games that earn over $10 million.
A key addition alongside the revenue model is the introduction of Epic Webshops. Launching in June, these allow developers to sell digital goods directly through web-based storefronts hosted on Epic’s platform. These purchases avoid fees from app store systems like Apple’s, thanks to a court ruling that now bars Apple from blocking out-of-app payments or punishing developers for using them.
Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney has long called for an open digital marketplace, and the court decision supports that vision. Developers can now link users to external purchase pages without facing app store penalties. Players, meanwhile, earn 5% in Epic Rewards on purchases made through these webshops.
For developers working in the Web3 space, the impact could be even greater. Many NFT-based or blockchain-powered games were technically allowed in app stores but struggled to function under the weight of 30% transaction fees. The new rules give Web3 studios a path to profit without losing control of their payment flows.
Indie game developers also stand to gain. Many of them rely on early earnings to stay afloat. By keeping the first $1 million in revenue, these small teams now have more breathing room before facing revenue cuts. It also removes some of the pressure to find a publisher or raise capital early in development.
Epic’s move could also influence competitors. Steam may now face pressure to reconsider its fee structure, especially if more developers take their titles to the Epic Games Store. The shift toward developer-first policies is growing, and the platforms that move fastest may win the next wave of indie and blockchain-driven games.
With better profit margins and fewer restrictions, Epic’s latest update could open the door to more innovation from smaller teams across the gaming world.