Epic tells The Verge that it is “open to games that support cryptocurrency or blockchain-based assets” on its game store, unlike its competitor Valve, which has banned games that feature blockchain or NFT technology from Steam. . When we asked about allowing games that included NFTs, Epic told us that there would be some limitations, but that they are willing to work with “early developers” in the “new field.”
Epic says that games would have to comply with financial laws, make it clear how the blockchain is used, and have proper age ratings. It also says that developers will not be able to use Epic’s payment service to accept cryptocurrency; instead they would have to use their own payment systems.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has said that the company isn’t interested in touching NFTs, but that statement now seems to apply only to its own games. Epic tells The Verge that it will clarify the rules while it works with developers to understand how they plan to use blockchain technology in their games. Sweeney also tweeted some additional thoughts after we broke this story: He says that Epic welcomes “innovation in the areas of technology and finance” and suggests that blockchain isn’t inherently good or bad.
None of this means that developers turned down by Steam can run off and release their game on the Epic Game Store. Epic’s self-publishing program is currently in closed beta, and Epic’s FAQ says it chooses who can join on a “case-by-case” basis. However, Epic has proven to be a rather permissive platform owner, something that became a point of contention in its lawsuit with Apple when the lawyers mentioned the “offensive and sexualized” games that were available on Itch.io, an online store. accessible games. on the Epic Play Store.
Allowing games that Steam bans is another way Epic could compete with Valve. Epic has already shown that it’s willing to make big bets trying to make its store a major player in the PC gaming space, and this could be another play for some gamers or developers to get on their side. Some NFT fans immediately looked to Epic after the news broke on Steam. Enjin, a company that helps developers integrate NFTs into their products (including SpacePirate, who tweeted about removing their game from Steam) retweeted our Steam article and tagged Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and asked him to speak. . It looks like you now have at least one question answered.
