What is Epic Games Store?
Epic Games Store is Epic’s marketplace for buying, downloading and launching games. On Windows and macOS it runs through the Epic Games Launcher, which handles installation, updates, cloud saves, achievements and a friends list, while a web storefront lets players browse and buy titles in a browser. The same Epic account ties purchases to Fortnite, Rocket League and Epic’s other games across platforms.
Epic opened the store in December 2018 as a direct challenge to Steam. Instead of the 30 percent commission common on PC and console stores, it keeps 12 percent of most sales, and it waives Unreal Engine royalties on revenue earned through the store. To attract players it gives away free games every week, and to attract developers it has paid for timed exclusives, opened self-publishing in 2023 and, from June 2025, stopped taking a cut of a developer’s first $1 million in revenue.
In August 2024 Epic launched the store on Android worldwide and on iPhones in the European Union, where new rules required Apple to allow alternative app stores, and in January 2025 it began offering third-party mobile games. The desktop launcher has long been criticized as slow and short on features compared with Steam; in February 2026 the store’s general manager, Steven Allison, acknowledged the problems and promised better speed, and at Unreal Fest in June 2026 Epic announced plans to restructure the application. Epic said the store had 270 million users by 2023.
Key features of Epic Games Store
- 01
Weekly free games
Every week Epic gives away at least one PC game that players can claim and keep permanently, and the mobile store runs its own free game offers.
- 02
Lower revenue share
Epic keeps 12 percent of most game sales rather than the 30 percent common elsewhere, and Unreal Engine royalties are waived on revenue earned through the store.
- 03
Epic Games Launcher
The desktop app installs and updates games, syncs cloud saves, tracks achievements and connects players with friends through their Epic account.
- 04
Mobile store
The Android version is available worldwide and the iOS version in the European Union, distributing Fortnite, other Epic games and third-party mobile titles outside Google Play and the App Store.
- 05
Self-publishing
Since 2023 developers can list their own games after paying a submission fee and meeting Epic’s content rules and cross-play requirements, without negotiating a publishing deal.
- 06
Epic Rewards
Players earn a percentage of eligible purchases back as store credit that can be spent on future games, add-ons and in-game items.
- 07
Parental controls
Parental controls and cabined accounts for younger children restrict chat and other features and require a parent’s approval before purchases.
- 08
No DRM requirement
Epic does not impose its own digital rights management on games sold in the store, leaving each publisher to decide whether to add copy protection.
Who uses Epic Games Store?
- PC players claim free weekly games and buy new releases, often during seasonal sales such as the Epic Mega Sale.
- Independent developers self-publish games to reach Epic’s user base while keeping a larger share of revenue than on most stores.
- Publishers release timed exclusives on the store in exchange for revenue guarantees from Epic.
- Android users and iPhone owners in the European Union install Fortnite and other games without going through Google Play or Apple’s App Store.
History of Epic Games Store
Tim Sweeney argued in 2017 that the 30 percent commission charged by Steam and similar stores far exceeded the cost of distribution, suggesting a store could profit with a cut as low as 8 percent. After Fortnite gave Epic a large PC audience of its own, the company opened the Epic Games Store on December 6, 2018, during The Game Awards, with a 12 percent revenue share. Timed exclusives such as Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3 drew customers but also complaints from players who did not want their game libraries split across launchers.
The free games program moved to a weekly schedule in June 2019, and a Grand Theft Auto V giveaway in May 2020 brought in more than seven million new users. Epic Games added self-publishing and a rewards program in 2023, launched mobile versions in August 2024 after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act forced Apple to accept alternative app stores, and in 2025 dropped its commission on developers’ first $1 million in revenue.
- 2018
The Epic Games Store opens on December 6 with a 12 percent revenue share.
- 2019
Epic moves its free games program to a weekly schedule.
- 2020
A free Grand Theft Auto V giveaway draws more than seven million new users.
- 2023
Self-publishing opens to developers, and Epic introduces a rewards program for purchases.
- 2024
The store launches on Android worldwide and on iOS in the European Union.
- 2025
Epic stops taking a revenue share on developers’ first $1 million in store revenue.
Epic Games Store pricing
Pricing modelFree
The store and launcher are free; players pay for the games and add-ons they buy, and Epic keeps a share of most sales from developers.
Prices change often. Check the official Epic Games Store website for current plans.
Epic Games Store alternatives
Profiled on SoftwareLore:
Also considerGOG.com, Microsoft Store, EA app and Ubisoft Connect
Epic Games Store: frequently asked questions
Who owns the Epic Games Store?
The Epic Games Store is owned and operated by Epic Games, the privately held company founded by Tim Sweeney that also makes Fortnite and Unreal Engine. Epic launched the store in December 2018, and Sweeney remains the company’s CEO and controlling shareholder.
What is Epic Games Store used for?
Epic Games Store is used to buy, download, update and launch PC games, claim free weekly games and manage an Epic account’s library and friends. On Android devices and on iPhones in the European Union, it is also used to install Fortnite and other mobile games outside Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Is Epic Games Store free?
Yes. Epic Games Store and the Epic Games Launcher are free to download and use, and every week the store offers at least one PC game that players can claim and keep at no cost. Players pay only for the games, add-ons and in-game currency they choose to buy.
When was Epic Games Store released?
Epic Games Store opened on December 6, 2018, for Windows and macOS. Epic launched mobile versions in August 2024, on Android worldwide and on iOS for users in the European Union, and began offering third-party mobile games in January 2025.
How is the Epic Games Store different from Steam?
Both sell and launch PC games, but the Epic Games Store keeps 12 percent of most sales compared with Steam’s standard 30 percent, gives away free games every week and has used timed exclusives to attract releases. Steam, run by Valve, has a much larger catalog and more community features, such as user reviews and discussion forums.
Sources
- Epic Games Store, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Epic Games v. Apple, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Epic Games, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
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