Epic Games Store’s Mobile Free Games Program Launching Soon

PC gamers have long benefited from Epic Games’ free games initiative through its storefront, with new titles being released weekly by the maker of Fortnite and Unreal Engine. Now, targeting mobile gamers, Epic has announced that its free games program will soon extend to both Android and iOS platforms.

During the Unreal Fest event, Epic Games Store general manager Steve Allison discussed future plans for the mobile store after his keynote (via mobilegamer.biz). He revealed the company’s intention to introduce third-party titles to the mobile store along with a free games program set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Recently, the mobile version of the Epic Games Store became available on Android devices globally and on iOS devices within the EU, as Epic Games continues to fight against Apple and Google in court to make the third-party store easier to install and use. Just days ago, Epic filed a lawsuit against Samsung and Google, alleging that these tech giants are working to suppress competition within the Android ecosystem.

“During the holiday season, we’ll debut our first third-party applications,” Allison stated. “We expect to have between 10 and 50 of these titles available, with the main focus on implementing a payment solution, which might delay some releases into the following months.”

The free games program for mobile is expected to coincide with this launch, encouraging mobile gamers to download and engage with the third-party store, followed by self-publishing tools:

“The free games program will kick off in Q4 along with the introduction of third-party apps, providing exciting options for players and developers alike, facilitating rapid scaling. Self-publishing tools will also be introduced, allowing developers to participate without the need for direct interaction with us, similar to the current PC model, hopefully as early as January.”

While specifics regarding the free games program for mobile are still under wraps, it may adopt a similar weekly release pattern as the PC version. Currently, PC gamers can claim a free copy of The Spirit and the Mouse on the store.

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