Gamers Use Epic Free Games But Return to Steam
▼ Summary
– The Epic Games Store is popular for its free games, but users often return to Steam instead of using it as a primary platform.
– Epic reported 78 million monthly active users and $400 million in third-party game revenue, but this fell short of its initial growth expectations.
– The company is attempting to unify its PC and mobile storefronts, a rushed effort that involved spending millions to launch a mobile app in seven months.
– Epic is developing a new Disney-themed extraction shooter as part of a major partnership, raising questions about its focus amidst numerous other ventures.
– The company laid off over 1,000 employees, including one with a terminal illness, following a decline in Fortnite’s popularity.
The Epic Games Store has become a major player in the digital PC marketplace, largely thanks to its aggressive strategy of offering high-profile free games. However, a recurring narrative suggests that while users eagerly claim these titles, their overall engagement with the platform remains limited. Many players reportedly return to their primary library on Steam after adding the free offerings to their Epic accounts, a pattern that underscores the challenge of building lasting user loyalty.
Despite reporting 78 million monthly active users last year and generating $400 million from third-party game sales in 2025, Epic’s own leadership acknowledges these figures fell short of initial projections. The company’s global communications director stated the metrics were lower than the growth expectations set at the platform’s launch. This gap between user acquisition and sustained platform use highlights the difficulty of competing with Steam’s entrenched ecosystem and community features.
In response, Epic is pursuing an ambitious strategy to unify its PC storefront with a mobile gaming app, aiming to create a seamless experience across devices. This plan has drawn internal and external scrutiny, with critics pointing to a company culture that sometimes prioritizes speed over polish. For instance, the development of the 2024 mobile game store app was reportedly accelerated by spending millions on contractors to complete the project in just seven months.
Epic’s broader corporate strategy involves significant investments beyond its storefront, including a high-profile $1.5 billion partnership with Disney to develop a new extraction shooter. The success of this project, and whether it can replicate the cultural phenomenon of Fortnite, remains an open question. It exists alongside other ventures, such as the acquisitions of Art Station and Bandcamp, the latter of which was later sold, leading some to wonder if the company is spreading its focus too thin across too many initiatives.
The human cost of these strategic pivots and market pressures has been severe. Following an unexpected downturn in Fortnite’s engagement last year, Epic conducted layoffs affecting over 1,000 employees. Among those let go was a worker who was terminally ill with brain cancer, a move that sparked controversy and highlighted the real-world impact of corporate volatility. As Epic continues to navigate its path between being a disruptive force and a stable platform, its future will depend on converting casual users into a dedicated community.
(Source: Kotaku)
