Epic Games CEO says the exclusives will stop when Steam gets on their level

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When the Epic Games Store first launched and offered developers better percentages, gamers and developers alike were picking up what Epic was putting down. Then the exclusives started. While there has been a number of them, big ones included both Metro Exodus and the upcoming Borderlands 3.

PC gamers quickly backpedaled their praise, bringing up a variety of issues (many warranted) with the Epic Store and, in turn, its exclusivity practices. Now, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, is saying that Epic will stop with the exclusivity when Steam starts offering developers a healthier cut. While the whole thing seems a bit manipulative in a way, it will be interesting to see what Valve and Steam will do in response (if anything).

The news comes from a tweet thread where Sweeney discussed deals and the future of the Epic Games Store. One question posed, “Are you saying that if Valve decided to reduce its revenue share to 12% or even 10% that you would immediately stop doing exclusives?” After a few more back and forths, Sweeney confirmed,

If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached, Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam.

He followed that with another tweet stating, “Such a move would be a glorious moment in the history of PC gaming, and would have a sweeping impact on other platforms for generations to come.”

Valve hasn’t responded, and there’s a good chance there will not be a rebuttal, but don’t expect this to be the end of the Epic exclusives or discontent among gamers who just want to keep their libraries on Steam.

Where do you stand? Do you agree with Epic’s practices or would you like to see an end to these exclusives? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Josiah Motley

Former KnowTechie editor.