Epic mobile store still struggling
Social reporting describes the Epic Games Store as only marginally profitable on mobiles, with slides and staff comments pointing to weak retention and a lack of appealing catalog items despite consumer willingness to spend. (x.com) (x.com)
Epic’s mobile games store is still a small business nearly two years after launch, with internal material shared in recent social posts describing only thin profits and weak repeat use. (epicgames.com) Epic launched the mobile Epic Games Store on August 15, 2024, for Android worldwide and for iPhone users in the European Union, and it opened with just three first-party games: Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe. (epicgames.com) Epic has since told developers it will let mobile publishers self-publish on iOS and Android starting in August 2026, a sign the catalog is still being built rather than already filled out. (pocketgamer.biz) The company has spent the past year widening its incentives for developers instead of pointing to a large mobile audience. On June 3, 2025, Epic said developers would keep 100% of the first $1 million in annual net revenue per product, per year, before the usual 88% to 12% split begins. (store.epicgames.com) Epic’s own 2024 store review showed why that pressure exists. Third-party spending through Epic Payments on the store fell 18% year over year to $255 million in 2024, even as total spending including Epic’s own games rose 15% to $1.09 billion. (store.epicgames.com) That mix means Epic’s store economics still depend heavily on Fortnite and other first-party business. In the same 2024 review, Epic said 898 million cross-platform accounts included accounts created through partner platforms and the mobile store, but it did not break out mobile store revenue or user totals. (store.epicgames.com) Epic’s public pitch has been that lower fees and more payment choice will pull developers in first. The company says developers can also use their own payment systems for in-app purchases and keep 100% of that net revenue. (store.epicgames.com) The company is also still fighting the platform rules that shape how easy the store is to install. At launch, Epic said installing its mobile store remained a multi-step process on iOS and Android, and that iPhone access was limited to the European Union because of the Digital Markets Act. (epicgames.com) Steve Allison, the Epic Games Store general manager, said in March 2026 that Android showed “encouraging signs,” while iPhone adoption would likely stay lower because of added fees and friction. He said Epic had been in talks with major publishers and expected more movement once those barriers eased. (pocketgamer.biz) Epic’s latest annual review pointed to stronger results on personal computers, not mobile. On February 3, 2026, the company said third-party spending on personal computer games rose 57% to $400 million in 2025 and the catalog passed 6,000 games. (store.epicgames.com) The gap between that personal computer growth and the still-limited mobile catalog helps explain the recent reporting. Epic has the store live, the fee cuts in place, and self-publishing on the way, but it is still trying to turn mobile access into habit. (store.epicgames.com)
