According to MacRumors, Epic Games is offering the award-winning indie game Dead Cells for free for a limited time on its Epic Games Store for iOS. The store launched in the European Union last year and has since run a popular weekly giveaway program. This week’s giveaway features the action-platformer from developer Motion Twin, known for its roguelike design and responsive combat. The promotion is only available in the EU, as Apple’s policies currently prohibit alternative app stores like Epic’s in other countries. The free claim period is active now, but the exact end date for the offer was not specified in the report.
Epic’s Mobile Gambit
So here’s the thing. Epic’s move is smart, but it’s also incredibly niche. Giving away a beloved, premium game like Dead Cells is a fantastic way to drive downloads of their store app itself. It’s the classic “loss leader” strategy. Get people in the door for the freebie, and hope they stick around to buy other games or make in-app purchases. But the audience is tiny—only iPhone and iPad users in the EU can even participate. That’s a huge limitation right out of the gate. It makes you wonder about the real scale Epic can achieve here. Is this just a proof-of-concept, or are they playing a very long game waiting for other regions to force Apple’s hand?
The Real Barrier Isn’t Price
Look, getting a great game for free is never a bad deal. But the bigger story is the friction involved. To get Dead Cells, an EU user has to sideload the Epic Games Store app itself first. That’s a process most casual iPhone owners have never done and might find intimidating. Apple has designed the entire system to feel slightly off-limits and “unofficial,” which is a psychological hurdle Epic has to overcome. Then there‘s the question of updates. Will they be as seamless as the App Store? Probably not. So the “cost” isn’t money; it’s convenience and trust. For many, that’s a higher price than the $8.99 the game normally costs.
A Preview of the Future?
This whole situation is basically a live test case for a world with more open app markets on iOS. Epic is the canary in the coal mine. If their store thrives in the EU—with weekly giveaways and potentially better revenue splits for devs—it puts immense pressure on Apple globally. But that’s a big “if.” Remember, Epic tried this on Android for years and eventually shut down its store there because it couldn’t compete with Google Play. The mobile market is brutally consolidated. Can a store survive on giveaways and principle alone? I’m skeptical. It needs a steady stream of must-have exclusives or significantly better prices, and building that library takes time and a ton of money.
Should You Bother?
If you’re in the EU and you love tight, challenging action games, absolutely. Dead Cells is a masterpiece, and free is free. Claim it via Epic’s announcement and see how the alternative store experience feels. For everyone else, this is a fascinating glimpse into a fragmented app store future that might be coming to more regions eventually. It shows both the potential benefit (free games!) and the inherent complexities. The battle isn’t just about getting the store on the phone; it’s about getting users to change a decade of ingrained behavior. And that’s the hardest level of all.
