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Epic Games buys artist portfolio site ArtStation

Epic Games buys artist portfolio site ArtStation

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The site will continue to operate independently and is reducing artists’ seller fees

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As it prepares to do battle in court with Apple over App Store fees, Epic Games has acquired ArtStation, an online marketplace for digital artists, the companies announced. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

“The ArtStation leadership team brings tremendous talent and an unparalleled track record of supporting a vibrant creator community and ecosystem,” Epic Games vice president and general manager Marc Petit said in a statement. “We look forward to working with them to provide creators with access to even more resources and tools, empowering them to do their best work.”

Founded in 2014, ArtStation is a popular portfolio site for professional artists in gaming and entertainment. ArtStation artists can also sell their work on the site, and Epic plans to reduce seller fees, putting more money in creators’ pockets. Standard fees will go from 30 percent to 12 percent, and for ArtStation Pro members, the fees will be reduced from 20 percent to 8 percent, and 5 percent for self-promoted sales.

ArtStation will continue to operate “as an independently branded platform,” and its ArtStation Learning section, which has a library of educational videos, will be free for the rest of 2021.

“You can still use the platform as you do today, and we will continue to be open to all creators across verticals, both 2D and 3D alike—including those that don’t use Unreal Engine,” ArtStation CEO Leonard Teo wrote in a blog post. “We’ll be actively hiring and growing the ArtStation team. We’re committed to improving the platform and now as a part of Epic, we’ll be able to do much more.” Leo added that Epic’s Unreal Engine team has been a strong supporter of the platform, with Epic giving ArtStation one of its Megagrants last year at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.