Thanks to a post on Reddit, we've learned that Epic Games currently have no plans to put their store on Linux.
In response to a user question about it on Twitter, Sergey Galyonkin, the person behind Steam Spy who now works for Epic Games as the "Director of Publishing Strategy" said this:
It really isn’t on the roadmap right now. Doesn’t mean this won’t change in the future, it’s just we have so many features to implement.
It's interesting, since their original announcement mentioned the store was coming to "other open platforms" besides Windows, Mac and Android which we presumed would mean Linux. It's odd, since there aren't really other open platforms besides those to put a store on. We also had Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games, give a ray of hope on Twitter with "We'll See :D" in reply to a user asking if the other open platforms meant Linux. So, I do still find it very odd that it's not on the roadmap at all. Not surprising though, Linux has always been low priority for Epic Games.
This could create an issue for us in future, since Epic Games are taking on timed-exclusive games which would mean no possibility for a Linux version until that ends. Even then, the developers of those games could decide to remain solely on the Epic Store. Remember, this has already happened with Satisfactory from Coffee Stain having the Steam store page removed to be exclusive to the Epic Store.
Speaking on Reddit, Epic's Sweeney said "These exclusives don’t come to stores for free; they’re a result of some combination of marketing commitments, development funding, or revenue guarantees.". So with that in mind, Epic Games are offering some commitments to developers to get their games, which could sway some future high-profile titles away from the likes of Steam.
For Linux gamers we still have Steam, GOG, Humble Store, itch.io and a few others which support Linux games. Heck, even Discord confirmed their store will come to Linux. For now, the Epic Store isn't a huge deal and doesn't have a lot of games (or features) for users so it won't be a huge problem right away. It will be interesting to follow, especially to see what Valve plan to do to prevent too many games leaving.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: GuestI'm a bit sad about epic's decision. But maybe time is not ripe for linux platform to their road map.This can be an advantage for Valve.For me personally, I won't buy a single game from epic store until something happens like Linux support for example.The next year will be very intresting....:)
Same I wont buy a game from EPIC GAMES
They talk so nasty about Microsoft Giving us some light, yet they cant enable EAC to wotk with Linux and Whitelist DXVK so it wont detect as a Hack, total BS i wish their store fail until they show they care about linux with a Fortnite Port i hope they fail, Windows,PS4,Xbox One,MacOS,ISO really IOS, Android yes Android gets a Port also even tho android is worth it yes big user base but certain phones at least make it Playerable on a Budget Device that is around $100+ Phone can Handle,Ow yeah The Nintendo Switch Got theirs 2, why cant we get one with Vulkan API or give us a DXVK Whitelist on EAC so we can play Fortnite incase their is no Port
QuoteIt's interesting, since their original announcement mentioned the store was coming to "other open platforms" besides Windows, Mac and Android which we presumed would mean Linux.
You were reading too much into a vague sentence. Yes, interpreting it strictly seems to indicate Linux, but I doubt they meant it to be read this literally, and it is far from a "clear" confirmation. Someone less interested in Linux gaming than us here would read it and not even think if it could mean Linux or not.
And frankly, it makes the most sense. They are trying to grow fast and take a market share out of Steam, focusing on the fastest avenues to bring a lot of players: exclusives, giving free games, bringing publishers in by charging less, etc. Linux most certainly isn't going to have the same short-term impact. Sad, but I also disapprove of their use of exclusives for example.
Quoting: Liotheif Linux isn't even on the roadmap, what other platforms are there?they're secretly targetting FreeBSD
Nevertheless Dec 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1078746920082903040
I asked him if he believes that additional launchers and stores reduce the likelyhood of Microsoft closing down Windows, but unsurprisingly got no answer...
Quoting: NeverthelessHere's Tim Sweeneys definition of "Open Platform" and "Open System".
https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1078746920082903040
The definition is correct and also corresponds to Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_platform
One should not forget that Linux has only a very small user base. The fact that Valve as a large publisher supports Linux so intensively is something special. Just as Valve is perhaps something special.
Linux is very dominant in the server sector. But if you thought that Epic would be the big breakthrough for the Linux-Desktop, you are mistaken. Epic and Tencent follow a completely different philosophy than we do. Things should be open to them, not open to others (for example their customers). That's the small but subtle difference when Sweeney speaks of "open".
And Epic also has no problem with closed platforms. Otherwise they wouldn't have released Fortnite on PS4. Epic is all about money. Directly and quite bluntly. They don't want to explore anything like Valve. They just want to use the research results when the money comes. :)
Also Fortnite itself is in large parts nothing else than a new edition of TF2. They copied the gameplay of PUBG and mixed it with the style of TF2. Tencent is a large Chinese company. What can we expect? Copying, copying, copying, from all who are open to it. ;)
There is a lot of controversy about the dances. Interesting that Valve (as always) has nothing to say about it. But have a look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=munG3VIye6s
Epic makes a good game engine. Nothing more to say.
Last edited by 1xok on 30 December 2018 at 2:36 pm UTC
Quoting: GuestWhy would anyone care about a new gaming store? They won't be able to compete with steam anyway. And for us - linux gamers - epic doesn't exist.
You can't take it lightly because of Tencent. What if, for example, games like RDR2 appear exclusively in the Epic Store in the future? That can grow into a competition. And yes, we no longer play a role in the Epic Store. Right now it's all on Steam and if RDR2 will be released there, we could probably play it on Proton at some point.
Valve is not listed on the stock exchange. They have a lot of money, but big companies like Tencent have a lot more. Valve has already ruled by lowering prices for top sellers. Epic can be much more generous:
https://www.pcgamer.com/epics-tim-sweeney-reveals-how-the-company-lands-exclusives-for-the-epic-store/
Quoting: GuestWhy would anyone care about a new gaming store? They won't be able to compete with steam anyway. And for us - linux gamers - epic doesn't exist.As pointed out above in various posts, reasons to care are:
- There are exclusives coming to Epic to which we won't have access (bye bye Rebel Galaxy Outlaw)
- They (and Discord) are now potentially blowing up the pricing model that has been sustaining Linux-friendly stores like Valve and GOG
- There's Tencent, a huge Chinese company with tentacles all over the industry (including Discord) with tons of money and influence and Chinese companies in other industries have not hesitated to use that money and influence to artifically undercut (dumping) and extinguish competitors.
Last edited by iiari on 30 December 2018 at 3:17 pm UTC
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