What just happened? Not content with challenging Steam in the world of digital storefronts, Fortnite creator Epic Games has become a multiplatform publisher. The company announced that its new project, Epic Games Publishing, already boasts three big development partners: Remedy Entertainment, Playdead, and Gen Design.
Remedy already has a relationship with Epic; the company's multiple award-winning Control remains an exclusive on the Epic Games Store until August. The Finnish developer was also behind Quantum Break, Alan Wake, and Max Payne/Max Payne 2. Playdead, meanwhile, is best-known for the excellent side-scrollers Limbo and Inside, and Gen Design was responsible for PS4-exclusive The Last Guardian.
Remedy said the deal covers its next two games, one of which will be an "AAA multiplatform" large-scale production, while the other will be a smaller title set in the same universe. Both use Remedy's Northlight engine.
As it's done with the Epic Games Store, the company wants to focus on offering the best terms for developers. Epic said devs retain 100 percent of all intellectual property and full creative control of their work, and it will cover 100 percent of costs, including salaries, 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," explained Epic.
"We're building the publishing model we always wanted for ourselves when we worked with publishers," said CEO Tim Sweeney.
While one might expect the games Epic publishes to be exclusive to its store, that might not be the case, but we'll have to wait and see. Epic says additional information, development partners, and games will be announced in the coming months.