Epic launches publishing label, signs creators behind Control, Inside, and The Last Guardian

Fortnite maker Epic Games is getting into publishing in a big way. Today the company announced the launch of Epic Games Publishing, which is exactly what it sounds like: a publishing label funded by Epic. “We’re building the publishing model we always wanted for ourselves when we worked with publishers,” Epic founder Tim Sweeney said in a statement.

To start, Epic has lined up an impressive trio of development partners. That includes Remedy Entertainment, most recently known for the surreal action game Control; Playdead, the team behind the haunting side-scrollers Limbo and Inside; and Gen Design, a studio helmed by director Fumito Ueda, which most recently launched The Last Guardian. In a separate statement, Remedy said that the deal covered two titles; one larger-scale production, and a smaller game set in the same universe.

As with the Epic Games Store, which boasted about its more developer-friendly terms, the new publishing label is meant to offer a better deal for game creators. Here are the key aspects, according to Epic:

• “Developers retain 100 percent of all intellectual property and full creative control of their work.”
• “Epic Games Publishing will cover up to 100 percent of development costs, from developer salaries to go-to-market expenses such as QA, localization, marketing, and all publishing costs.”
• “Developers earn a fair share for their work — once costs are recouped, developers earn at least 50 percent of all profits.”

It’s a similar premise to the EGS, which offers developers a revenue split of 88 / 12, compared to the 30 percent cut most major digital stores take from sales. Epic previously supported game development through grants, such as the $100 million MegaGrant program, and by signing games to exclusive EGS deals.

“Gen Design, Remedy, and Playdead are among the most innovative and talented studios in the industry, with strong visions for their next games,” Hector Sanchez, head of the label, said in a statement. “They will have full creative control, while Epic will provide a solid foundation of project funding and services.”

One important note is that the new games published by Epic won’t necessarily be exclusive to its store. Epic describes the new venture as “a new multiplatform publishing effort with a developer-first approach.” Epic says that more partners, and the first games, will be announced “in the coming months.”

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/21195152/epic-games-publishing-label-control-last-guardian-inside