Epic Games Store: attention on free games, but players return to Steam
Intelligence Summary
- Epic Games Store struggles to retain players as reports suggest users claim free games and then head back to Steam.
Epic Games Store: attention on free games, but players return to Steam
The Epic Games Store is having a hard time competing with Valve's Steam, despite offering free games to players. While the store reported 78 million monthly active users, recent research suggests many users claim Epic games separately and then return to Steam for their gaming journey.
Competition problems
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, based on statements from former Epic Games employees, players are mainly interested in the free games offered by the Epic Games Store, but use the platform far less for other purchases. That makes it difficult for Epic to maintain a strong competitive position against Steam, which has long dominated the market.
In 2025, Epic Games earned around $400 million from non-Epic games. That figure raises questions about the effectiveness of the Epic Games Store's current business model, especially given that user growth and the number of active players were lower than initially expected.
New plans and integration
Epic Games is currently working on plans to merge its PC gaming storefront and mobile gaming app into a single, unified platform experience. However, this ambitious project has drawn skepticism, especially given the pace at which such plans are being rolled out. In an effort to speed up development, Epic reportedly invested millions in external contractors to launch the mobile game store app in just seven months.
The future of Epic
Alongside the integration plans, there is also news of a new extraction shooter Epic is developing with Disney as part of a $1.5 billion partnership. The project is notable because it could give Epic the potential to compete with the massive success of titles like Fortnite. However, given previous disappointments and the diversification of its investments, there is concern that this project may also fail to meet expectations.
Timeline
2025: Epic Games reports $400 million earned from non-Epic games.
2026-04-15: Research reveals that players use the Epic Games Store for free games, but return to Steam.
2026: Epic Games works on integrating its PC and mobile gaming platforms.
The ongoing challenges for the Epic Games Store, and the lingering concerns about long-term competitiveness, remain topics of discussion within the gaming community.
