Epic Games covers Apple’s core technology fee and partners with Playdigious to bring third-party titles to its store

France-based games publisher Playdigious has penned an agreement with Epic Games to distribute its titles on the Epic Games Store. 

The collaboration brings four Playdigious mobile titles to the Epic Games Store, including Dungeon of the Endless, Evoland 2, Shapez and Cultist Simulator. Dungeon of the Endless will be free in February as part of the launch offer.

The distribution deal will generate revenue through 2025. Playdigious and Epic Games are considering adding more mobile titles from the Playdigious catalogue, paving the way for other third-party studios to launch games on the alternative platform. 

Covering developer iOS fees

In a bid to convince developers to publish their games via its store, Epic said it would cover Apple's controversial core technology fee (CTF) for games offered through its free games program for the first 12 months.

The CTF policy requires iOS developers to pay $0.50 per install of their games outside the App Store, even for installs through the App Store, after the first 1 million installs. 

This policy has been criticised as stifling competition by discouraging developers from launching games outside Apple's ecosystem. Epic's move aims to counter what it calls Apple's "insidious design" and support developers in navigating these financial barriers.

“We might run into serious financial problems after a couple more decades of this, but we're determined to fight this out," Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney told Eurogamer. "I expect large parts of this struggle will go on over the rest of the decade, and we're fully committed to it and breaking through.”

“A defining moment" 

“We are very proud to be selected by Epic Games as one of the first publishing partners at their long-awaited launch," said Playdigious CEO Abrial Da Costa. “Finally, the Epic Games Store is opening to service the mobile game market, marking a defining moment for the global gaming industry. 

“Dungeon of the Endless is the first title of hopefully many to get a wider distribution thanks to Epic Games, and I look forward to a long and positive partnership." 

Players can now access Shapez, Evoland 2, and Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee from the Epic Games Store on mobile. Cultist Simulator will also be added to the lineup in the coming days.  

During a session at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2025, which was a massive success, speakers from Epic Games, ustwo and Playdigious came together on stage to express their optimism for the mobile space and discuss the potential of third-party stores.