The Rise of the Epic Games Store: Can It Ever Compete with Steam?

The Battle for PC Gaming Supremacy

Let’s be real: Steam has been the undisputed king of PC gaming for nearly two decades. It’s where millions of players log in daily, browse an endless library of games, and take part in a thriving digital marketplace.

But in 2018, Epic Games threw down the gauntlet.

They weren’t just launching another store—they were waging a full-blown war against Valve’s dominance.

Fast forward to today, and the question remains: Can Epic Games Store (EGS) ever truly compete with Steam?

There’s no denying that Epic has made some big moves. They’ve pulled in millions of users, given away an absurd amount of free games, and even fought legal battles against Apple and Google. But are they actually winning the war, or are they just burning cash to stay relevant? Let’s dive in.

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Epic Games Store: Growth by the Numbers

Say what you want about Epic’s tactics, but their user growth is impressive. In 2024 alone, the store hit 295 million PC users, gaining 25 million new players. Their cross-platform ecosystem is even bigger, with 898 million accounts across PC, mobile, and console.

Daily engagement is solid too—37.2 million daily active users (DAU), with a monthly active user (MAU) peak at 74 million. That’s a serious audience. But here’s the kicker: Steam still leads the pack with 132 million MAU and a peak concurrent player count of 36 million.

So what’s driving Epic’s growth?

Two words: free games.

Epic’s weekly giveaways have been a game-changer, offering $2,229 worth of games per player in 2024 alone. That’s insane. And it works—595 million free games were claimed last year. The problem? Many of these users just grab free games and never spend a dime. That’s a serious challenge for long-term sustainability.

The Money Problem: Epic vs. Steam

Let’s talk revenue. Epic made $1.09 billion in player spending in 2024, up 15% from 2023. Sounds great, right? Not so fast—third-party game sales actually dropped 18%, from $310M to $255M.

Meanwhile, Steam reportedly pulls in over $10 billion annually. That’s not just a lead—it’s a different league. The reality is, while Epic keeps growing, it’s still heavily reliant on first-party hits like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys to drive revenue.

And then there’s the legal drama. Epic spent hundreds of millions battling Apple and Google to break into mobile gaming. They’ve won some fights, but the war isn’t over. Fortnite’s iOS ban alone cost Epic an estimated $1 billion in lost revenue.

What Epic Does Better Than Steam

Despite its struggles, Epic is actually doing some things better than Steam.

Better Revenue Split for Developers: Steam takes a 30% cut, while Epic only takes 12%. Plus, developers who sign on to Epic’s First Run program keep 100% of revenue for the first six months. That’s a massive deal.

Cross-Platform Ecosystem: With Fortnite, Rocket League, and Unreal Engine, Epic has built an interconnected ecosystem that Steam just doesn’t have.

Mobile Expansion: The Epic Games Store launched on Android and iOS in the EU, something Steam hasn’t done yet. If Epic can crack mobile, this could be a game-changer.

Where Steam Still Crushes Epic

Game Library Size: Steam has over 50,000 games, while Epic’s store has around 4,000. More choice = better platform.

Player Features & Community Tools: Steam Workshop, Cloud Saves, Mod Support, Community Hubs — Epic is still playing catch-up here.

Consistent Third-Party Sales: Steam’s indie scene is thriving, while Epic’s third-party game sales are declining. That’s a red flag.

What’s Next for Epic in 2025?

Epic knows it needs to level up, and 2025 is all about closing the gap. Here’s what they’re rolling out:

Gifting System: Finally, you’ll be able to gift games to friends.
Pre-Loading for PC/Mac—No more waiting to download on release day.
New Download Manager: More control over updates and scheduled downloads.
Better Social Features: Built-in voice chat, text chat, and game-independent party systems.
More Self-Publishing Tools: Making it easier for devs to launch their games on EGS.
Non-Gaming Apps: Epic wants to expand beyond games into software and productivity tools.

These are big steps forward, but will they be enough to shift the balance?

Can Epic Actually Beat Steam?

Let’s be real—Steam isn’t going anywhere. Valve has built a deeply entrenched ecosystem with a massive game library, a loyal user base, and steady third-party revenue. Epic, on the other hand, is still playing the long game.

What Epic Needs to Fix

Retention Beyond Free Games: Right now, too many users just grab free titles and leave. Epic has to figure out how to convert these users into actual paying customers.

More Third-Party Game Sales: If developers don’t see good sales numbers, they’ll keep prioritizing Steam. Epic has to reverse its -18% decline in third-party revenue.

Closing the Feature Gap: Steam is still the gold standard for player features. Epic needs to match or exceed Steam’s ecosystem to keep users engaged.

Final Verdict

Epic isn’t taking down Steam anytime soon, but they’re not going away either. They’ve got the money, the ambition, and the Fortnite-fueled ecosystem to keep pushing forward. If they can fix retention, improve third-party sales, and make EGS a true competitor in terms of features, then maybe—just maybe—they can give Steam a real fight.

2025 will be a defining year for Epic. Will they break through, or will they keep playing second fiddle to Steam? Only time will tell.

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