Hey there, tech enthusiasts! Nuked here, ready to drop some exciting news from the gaming world. Buckle up because Epic Games just changed the game for smaller developers in a big way!

For over six years, Epic has been shaking things up by slashing the usual 30% revenue cut that platforms like Steam charge developers, offering just 12% instead. Now, they’re raising the stakes by completely waiving fees for the first $1 million a game earns annually on their store. That’s right, zero fees until you hit that milestone!

This new, friendlier fee structure kicks in this June and applies to each game individually. After the first $1 million, the regular 12% fee resumes. Epic’s move echoes a similar strategy from their Unreal Engine days, where they once waived royalties on the first $1 million in lifetime sales for game projects.

Epic’s approach flips the traditional model on its head. While Steam rewards massive successes with lower fees above $10 million in lifetime earnings, Epic says, “Why not help everyone?” Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, even called out bigger platforms for favoring only large developers with special deals, pushing for fairer treatment across the board.

The early days of the Epic Games Store focused on handpicked, eye-catching exclusives from well-known developers, but since 2023, it’s opened up to self-publishing. This means hundreds of smaller, creative games now have a platform, bringing fresh variety and opportunity to the marketplace.

Epic is clearly playing the long game, investing big to carve a spot against Steam’s dominance. While the store attracted over $1 billion in spending last year, Steam still leads with almost $11 billion. Despite that gap, Epic’s zero-fee policy could be a game-changer for indie developers looking for a fair shake. Stay tuned, gamers — the competition just got a lot more interesting!