Epic CEO's Angry Emails to Valve Reveal Motivation Behind Epic Games Store Launch to Challenge Steam's 30% Cut
• Epic CEO Tim Sweeney sent angry emails to Valve over its 30% platform fees, calling them "assholes" for squeezing developers • Sweeney estimated Valve's true distribution costs at under 7% and said their profit margins were higher than most developers' • The emails show the motivation behind Epic Games Store's 2018 launch as a Steam competitor • Sweeney tried convincing Valve to lower fees to set an example for Apple's iOS policies, foreshadowing Epic's later lawsuit • Valve execs appeared dismissive, responding to Sweeney's fury with jokes about him being mad