The Epic Games Store on Android now offers two free mobile games each week, a major shift from the monthly freebie system that it previously utilized. This change also applies to iPhone and iPad, but only in regions where Apple allows third-party app stores.
Epic Gamesinitially launchedits mobile app store as a means of circumventing Play Store and App Store fees. TheFortniteandRocket Leaguemarker hasvocally opposed(and occasionally violated) mobile storefront payment requirements, particularly those related to in-app payment systems, since 2015.
Now, the company is taking amuch more ambitious approachto its digital storefront. Not only is it selling desktop- and console-class games on mobile, but it’s regularly giving away free games, effectively mirroring the strategy of its desktop storefront (a strategy that is also reminiscent ofAmazon’s Android Appstore, which lured customers away from the Play Store in 2011 by giving away free and exclusive games).
The platform’s latest freebies—Super Meat Boy ForeverandEastern Exorcist—are 2 of the 13 titles that Epic Games has added to its mobile storefront this month. These freebies will be swapped out for a new set of games on March 27th, according to Epic, though the company has not revealed which titles are up next.
To be clear, the mobile Epic Games Store was already giving away free titles, but only on a monthly basis. Switching to a weekly model should give the storefront some extra publicity and improve customer retention—websites may cover the mobile Epic Games Store more often as headline-grabbing game titles grace Epic Games Store, and users may have a reason to log in at least once a week. Epic Games probably hoped to offer weekly freebies on day one, but it’s taken a while for the company to grow its mobile game catalog. The Epic Games Store selection on iOS is also a little thin when compared to Android.
Here are all the games that Epic Games has added to its mobile store in March:
iOS and Android
Android Only
Are weekly freebies sustainable? Well, it depends on Epic Games' ability to bring in new releases, ports, and indie titles. In any case, the company is clearly trying to avoid stereotypical mobile games (it gave away a mobile port ofStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicearlier this month), so I certainly hope that it finds success in this area. Not only would it make phones and tablets a more viable option forrealgaming, but it would give Google and Apple a reason roll out of bed and participate in some real competition. (At the very least, it might convince Apple to stopoverchargingfor AAA game ports on iOS.)
Unfortunately, the Epic Games store is not available on Google Play. You need tosideload the appif you want to use it. Sideloading is a safe and easy process, but it requires more work than a typical app download. And, of course, the Epic Games Store for iOS is currentlylimited to the European Union. United States regulators have yet to tackle Apple’s (allegedly) anticompetitive App Store guidelines and may be reluctant to do so in the current political climate.
