Epic Games launches self-publishing tools for developers and publishers

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced the launch of new self-service publishing tools to allow developers and publishers to distribute their games on the Epic Games Store.

The details:

• Epic has announced that developers can now publish their games through its Developer Portal if they follow a set of guidelines. The developer must sign up and pay a $100 fee for each game they submit, as well as create a page for them, build, test, and rate the game. Epic will then review the submission and approve it if everything is as expected, and the developer will receive 88% of future revenue, which is higher than Steam's 80% share, as well as the ability to waive Unreal Engine royalty fees if the developer chooses Epic's payment processor for in-game purchases.
• Epic's requirements appear to be simple and reasonable, with all games requiring crossplay and matching achievements across all PC storefronts such as Steam, needing to run well consistently for at least 20 minutes, and an age rating. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has previously criticized Valve's Steamworks API for not supporting multiplayer between storefronts, so it appears that the company is sticking to its word to address the issue. Games must also not contain explicit content such as pornography, discrimination, malware, or other illegal content, but can include blockchain integration, unlike Steam games.
• In terms of the advantages of publishing on Epic's store, the company states that if a game does not yet have an age rating, an IARC rating can be obtained for free as part of the application process, as it is required in some countries. That isn't the only free service Epic provides to applicants; a game's store page can be localized upon request for no added cost. It appears that the company is attempting to simplify the process to expand its library of smaller indie titles.

Other Epic Games news:

• The next season of Fortnite will be called "Mega," which will have a futuristic, Neo-Tokyo theme, and will include a first-person mode and new items. Another collaboration is in the works for the game, this time with the anime Attack on Titan, with images of protagonist Eren Jaeger already having leaked.
• Epic has confirmed that it will continue to bring "major" exclusives to the Epic Games Store, including Alan Wake 2 and new games from Playdead, the developer of Limbo, and genDesign, the creators of The Last Guardian.