Ubisoft will be releasing ‘The Division 2’ exclusively on Epic Games Store

If you want to get your hands on The Division 2, you won’t find the game on Steam when it launches on March 15. Instead, Ubisoft struck a deal with Epic to release the game exclusively on its Games Store. In the meantime, all the other Ubisoft titles are still available on Valve’s Steam. But it looks like the developer wants to test the response on this new distribution platform. Epic has a more generous revenue sharing model versus Steam, with hopes of drawing more developers to launch on its platform. Valve’s current deal gives developers 70% of each sale and goes up from there, while Epic offers developers 88% from the start.

In a statement to Polygon, Ubisoft’s Chris Early said, “Epic continues to disrupt the videogame industry, and their third party digital distribution model is the latest example, and something Ubisoft wants to support.” Early said they planned to release more games on the latter’s store, but didn’t specify if these will be exclusive. That probably depends on how well the games do on the service. What Steam has going for it is its wider reach, but if developers keep flocking to Epic’s store, then that might eventually tip the dynamic.

Source: Slash Gear

Epic delays release of latest 'Fortnite' patch, including new Driftboard vehicle

After teasing the existence of a new snowboard-like vehicle it’s calling a Driftboard, Epic Games had to delay the release of said vehicle as well as an upcoming patch for Fortnite. The developer found a bug with the Driftboard, thus delaying the plans for its release. It was supposed to arrive with the patch v7.10 set to go live on Tuesday morning. But those plans also got sidetracked. Epic announced that there’s a larger issue with patch itself, so they’re delaying that release as well. It isn’t clear though if Epic plans to release these two together as originally planned. But we’ll keep you posted if we hear any news.

Source: Polygon

Epic pulls its ‘overpowered’ Infinity Blade from ‘Fortnite’

There’s getting a competitive advantage and then there’s just killing the game for everyone else. And that’s what the Infinity Blade did for Fortnite. The mythic item gave the player who wielded it. It gave them a health and shield boost, HP regeneration, faster movement, incredible damage-dealing potential, and the ability to smash through buildings in no time at all. But the problem was it was too strong, which meant those in the receiving end of it didn’t like it. It drew enough flak that Epic Games was forced to pull the weapon in no time. In a tweet, Epic said, “We messed up and rolled out the Infinity Blade overpowered / without good counters, especially in the end game. The Infinity Blade has been Vaulted and we are re-evaluating our approach to Mythic items.”

The company initially had plans to rework it but decided to just pull it out completely. Epic said it’s also rethinking its approach to mythic items and promises to release more details in the coming week about their “competitive philosophy when it comes to new items, updates, and seasons."

Source: Engadget

Some indie games leave Steam for Epic Games Store

Aside from not launching its popular game Fortnite on Steam, Epic Games is now looking to compete directly against Steam. An attractive incentive that seems to be luring some developers to join them is a new revenue sharing model. Epic will just be taking 12 percent of the revenue as opposed to the industry standard of 30. And it seems this approach is paying off. A couple of indie game developers are following Epic to its new storefront. Coffee Stain Studios confirmed that its game Satisfactory will only be released through Epic. Another is the game Rebel Galaxy Outlaw. Its developer Double Damage is giving the Epic Store a 12-month window before it releases the game on Steam. We won’t be surprised if we hear more from other developers soon. If you want to check out the store, it’s now open with a free game coming every fortnight.

Source: The Next Web