Epic Games Store Review: Features, Free Games & Developer Revenue

The Epic Games Store is a major digital distribution platform acting as a direct competitor to established storefronts like Steam. By offering aggressive exclusivity deals and a more favorable revenue split for developers, Epic has cemented itself as a mandatory platform for anyone operating within the 🎮 PC (Microsoft Windows) Game Hub ecosystem. This review covers the essentials regarding its features, pricing models, and how it impacts PC gamers.

Key Facts

• Epic challenges Steam's market share by offering developers an 88/12 revenue split.
• The store features high-profile PC exclusives and consistent weekly free game drops.
• Native integration with Unreal Engine 4 and 5 provides direct pipelines for developers to publish and monetize their games.
• The storefront operates DRM-free by default, though it currently lacks some advanced community and social features found on competing platforms.

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Epic Games Store Overview

Launched in December 2018 off the back of Fortnite's financial success, the Epic Games Store targets PC, Mac, and Android users (with iOS access available within the European Union). The storefront supports multiple languages and regional pricing optimizations, directly challenging Steam’s dominance in the global digital PC market.

Exclusives and the 88/12 Revenue Split

Epic uses a highly aggressive acquisition strategy. By securing PC exclusivity for major titles—such as Alan Wake 2 and Dead Island 2—the platform forces its way into the PC gaming conversation. Epic offsets the loss of a wider Steam launch by guaranteeing funding and marketing support to publishers.

The primary draw for developers is the 88/12 revenue split, which vastly outperforms the industry-standard 70/30 cut. Furthermore, as of 2025, Epic waives its revenue share entirely for games earning under $1 million. If you decide to make a purchase on the platform, you can use the Support A Content Creator Code Mithrie to support my coverage.

Humble Bundle Integration

Epic Games integrates directly with Humble Bundle. This partnership allows Epic Games Store titles—including exclusives—to be sold on the Humble platform, with a percentage of sales automatically allocated to charities like the PayPal Giving Fund.

The Epic Games Launcher

The desktop client is streamlined for library management and purchasing. It includes essential functionality like cloud saving, automated updates, and library search filters. The built-in browser also features CPU, RAM, and Network limiters to prevent the launcher from hogging system resources while you play.

Free Games Rotation

Epic's weekly free game drops are its most successful user-acquisition tactic. High-profile giveaways have included GTA V, Civilization VI, and Death Stranding. Once a user claims a game during its free window, it is permanently tied to their account without requiring an active subscription.

Unreal Engine Developer Tools

The storefront is deeply integrated with the Unreal Engine. Developers using UE4 or UE5 can bypass standard engine royalties if they publish exclusively on the Epic Games Store.

The Epic ecosystem also includes the Unreal Engine Marketplace, providing game devs with 3D assets, AI models, and environments. Epic offers comprehensive free educational guides and lesson plans to onboard aspiring developers.

Epic Games Store vs. Steam

Image Source: Xsolla.

While Steam remains the dominant ecosystem regarding community features (forums, detailed user reviews, marketplace trading), Epic wins out on developer margins and DRM policy. Epic leaves DRM implementation entirely up to the developer, meaning many single-player games on the platform can be launched directly from the executable without the launcher running.

Current Limitations

As of 2026, the Epic Games Store still lacks the deep social infrastructure of Steam. Profile customization, complex achievement showcases, native game modding workshops, and built-in user discussion boards are either absent or very basic.

Community & Support

With roughly 295 million registered users, Epic relies on external platforms to facilitate community interaction. The official Epic Games Store Subreddit (housing nearly 100K members) serves as the primary hub for tech support, update discussions, and game release tracking.

The official Epic Games Discord provides real-time voice and text channels for LFG (Looking For Group) purposes, supplementing the launcher's limited native social features.

Summary

The Epic Games Store provides an essential service in the PC market by forcing competition. While its feature set is lighter than Steam's, the platform's developer-friendly revenue splits, DRM-free options, and unparalleled free game schedule make it a necessary installation for modern PC gamers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Epic Games free games free forever?

Yes. Once you claim a free game, it's permanently attached to your account. You will not lose access when the promotional period ends.

Can I link external accounts to my Epic ID?

Yes. Navigate to 'Account' > 'Connected Accounts' in your settings to link PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, or Steam accounts for cross-play and progression.

How do I download the Epic Games Launcher?

Visit the Epic Games website and click "Download" in the top right corner. The launcher is available natively on Windows and MacOS.

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