The CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, has given Steam an ultimatum. If Valve offers the same compensation that Epic does for their titles, then they will stop signing exclusivity deals that keep games off of Steam.

If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached, Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 25, 2019

“If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached, Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam,” Sweeney wrote. “Such a move would be a glorious moment in the history of PC gaming, and would have a sweeping impact on other platforms for generations to come.”

Epic Store Pays Better

Recently, many developers have been leaving Steam and signing exclusivity deals with Epic Games. One of the first games to make this move was the hit indie game, Ashen, which was then followed by AAA titles Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3. Ubisoft has almost completely left Steam and entered into a partnership with the Epic Games Store, moving its major PC releases to the platform starting with The Division 2.

Fans have certainly shown their discontent for this practice, particularly when games are moved from one store to another during the pre-order phase. Many have taken to various social media platforms to show their discontent while others have taken to “review bombing” games that have previous titles in the series such as Metro: Last Light and Metro 2033.

Ironically, that this misuse is possible and that Steam has no interest in correcting this misuse makes me kind of happy about 2k’s decision and makes me want to reconsider Gearbox Publishing’s current posture on the platform.

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) April 5, 2019

The brutal reactions from Steam users and Valve’s slow response to the review bombings have led to criticism from the developers themselves. “Ironically, that this misuse is possible and that Steam has no interest in correcting this misuse makes me kind of happy about 2K’s decision and makes me want to reconsider Gearbox Publishing’s current posture on the platform,” Gearbox studio head Randy Pitchford wrote.

Competition breeds innovation. Epic Games Store is offering creators better deals and Steam and its community is losing out on some key titles. Only time will tell if Steam decides to revisit their revenue sharing structure but until then, Epic Games will continue working on accumulating as many exclusives as they see fit. Be sure to stick and check back on GigamaxGames.com for all the latest gaming news and video game industry updates!