Epic Games Store continues to face challenges in the competitive PC gaming market primarily dominated by Steam. Despite launching with aggressive marketing and securing exclusive titles, Steam remains the favorite among PC gamers. However, recent data from 2025 indicates a positive shift for Epic, with player spending on third-party games rising by 57%, totaling $400 million. The platform achieved an all-time high of 78 million monthly active users. To enhance user experience, Epic plans to overhaul its store to make it faster and more interactive with new community features and exclusive offers related to Fortnite. Steve Allison, the VP and GM of the Epic Games Store, highlighted the long-term vision which includes establishing consistent market share while improving profitability through smart investments and engaging partnerships.

How does the Epic Games Store plan to compete with Steam in the long term?

The Epic Games Store aims to compete with Steam by enhancing its platform usability, introducing community features, and leveraging the massive popularity of Fortnite to attract players. By improving user experience and offering enticing marketing campaigns, Epic hopes to establish a more consistent market share and profitability while moving away from solely relying on exclusivity deals.

The Epic Games Store was launched in 2018 as a direct competitor to Steam, emphasizing exclusive titles and aggressive marketing strategies. With its flagship game, Fortnite, it has substantial influence in the gaming community, and the platform's ability to secure partnerships with popular developers aims to create a more diverse game library. Each initiative is part of a broader strategy to transform the Epic Games Store into a viable alternative to Steam in the digital distribution landscape.