Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says he's open to Fortnite on Steam or 'any serious store', but that 'the end of these ridiculous 30% fees' is a requirement

pcgamer.com:

Fortnite (a game which by all accounts probably doesn't need the help) could come to Steam, but on one condition: the platform does away with its 30% cut.

As spotted by Gamesradar, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney laid out the conditions for bringing Fortnite to the platform in a response to a Tweet, writing: «We’ll compete, and we’ll also put Fortnite on any serious store that gives all developers an awesome deal … the end of these ridiculous 30% fees is near.» Steam takes a 30% cut, so it's a pretty obvious shot across the aisle.

While it's a little funny that Sweeney is implying Steam isn't a «serious store» here, it should be noted that he isn't technically wrong. 30% is a high price for the privilege. Back in 2021, a state of the industry survey at GDC found that only 7% of respondents thought a 30% cut was justified. 

However if Fortnite came to Steam, it likely wouldn't be shelling out 30% of its profits for the privilege. If you're a big earner, Valve will only take 25% (past the $10 million mark) or 20% (past the $50 million mark). That's something Valve's been criticised for in the past—but given its current hold on the market, the resentment hasn't really done much.

Epic Games has plenty of problems that keep it from achieving Steam's massive popularity, but it does have the high ground in this particular debate. Epic's baseline cut is 12%, and there are programs in place that allow devs six months of 100% profit as long as they commit to Epic Games Store exclusivity. Cynically, this may be more down to the fact that Epic Games is less popular (and needs to convince devs to use it). However, from a sheer numbers perspective it's generous by comparison.

This also isn't the first time Sweeney's come down on Valve. Back in