Epic informs The Verge it is open to games that use cryptocurrency or blockchain-based assets. This is in contrast to Valve, which has banned any games featuring blockchain technology or NFTs. Epic said that there would be limitations to games featuring NFTs but that it was open to working with early developers.
Epic states that games must comply with financial laws and make clear how blockchain is used. Epic's payment system will not be available to developers to accept crypto. Instead, they will have to use their own payment methods.
Epic will make clear its rules in the future
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epics, stated that the company was not interested in touching NFTs. However, this statement seems to be limited to Epics own games. The Verge is told by Epic that the company will clarify the rules with developers as they work to understand how they intend to use blockchain tech within their games.
However, this does not mean that developers who are discouraged by Steam should rush to put their games up on Epic Game Store. Epics self-publishing program, currently in closed beta, is not available to developers. Epics FAQ states that it selects the right people for each case. This was a problem that came up in Epics trial with Apple, when Epics lawyers raised concerns about sexually explicit games on Itch.io (a game store that Epics has access to).
Epic could also allow games that Steam bans. This is one way Epic could compete against Valve. Epic has already demonstrated that it is willing to take big bets to make its store a dominant player in the PC gaming market. This could be another way Epic can get developers and gamers on its side. After the Steam news broke, some NFT enthusiasts immediately turned to Epic. Enjin, which helps developers integrate NFTs in their products (including SpacePirate who tweeted about their game being removed from Steam), retweeted our Steam article and tagged Epic CEO Tim Sweeney asking for advice. They now have at least one question answered.
