Epic Games' First Run may not be a good option for developers despite offering 100% revenue share

First Run is aimed at wooing developers who have grown tired of paying Steam’s 30% share.

Epic Games has offered an option for developers to receive 100% of their game’s sales revenue in exchange for being an exclusive on the platform for half a year. First Run is aimed at wooing developers who have grown tired of paying Steam’s 30% share. The industry-standard rate is perceived by many to be excessive. Although the Epic Games Store already offers a more generous 12% cut, creators have the option to publish their games elsewhere at this rate. The games within First Run will be granted "exclusive badging, homepage placements, and dedicated collections", as well as being "featured in relevant store campaigns, including sales, events, and editorial where applicable," to promote their launch.

 Nevertheless, the deal may not be beneficial for many as Steam is the de facto platform for PC gamers, and developers have declared that the Epic Games Store makes up only a small fraction of sales when their game is available on both Steam and Epic. Epic’s lack of features, such as reviews, decreases its appeal for developers and gamers alike. Although smaller independent developers may refrain from Epic’s new offering, larger companies may find Epic to be a more beneficial sales channel if they are publishing a big PC game but do not have their own store or the current store is inadequate.