The Epic Games Store: Why It's Still Chasing Steam's Shadow

Remember when the Epic Games Store burst onto the scene in 2017? It was supposed to be the challenger, the true rival to Steam. And sure, it's gained a search bar since then – a basic, but welcome, addition. But let's be honest: almost a decade later, the EGS still feels like it's perpetually playing catch-up, lagging light-years behind the juggernaut that is Steam. It's slow, often devoid of essential features, and generally, just a less enjoyable experience. An Epic employee even admitted to Polygon that most users "come for the free games, then leave." If Epic genuinely wants to dethrone the king of PC gaming, it might be time for a serious re-evaluation of its priorities.

A Publisher's Paradise, Not a Player's Playground

When EGS first launched, the big buzz was all about its revolutionary revenue share model. Epic offered developers a much more generous 88/12 split, meaning only 12% of sales went to Epic, compared to the heftier cuts taken by competitors like Valve (which takes around 24%). On paper, this sounded fantastic for game creators, and many of us, even here at IGN, thought it could genuinely shake things up. Yet, eight years later, Steam's dominance remains largely untouched. The cold, hard truth is that while a better revenue share is great for publishers, it means absolutely nothing to the average gamer. A lower cut for developers doesn't magically make the storefront better for us. This difference in focus is starkly reflected in the numbers: Alinea Analytics estimated Steam generated a whopping $1.6 billion in December 2025 alone, dwarfing Epic's $1.16 billion for the entire year of 2025. Valve, despite its 'greed' as some might see it, has built an enormous, loyal user base over many years, something a favorable revenue split simply can't buy.

The Double-Edged Sword of Free Games

Epic's primary strategy for building its user base has been, undeniably, the weekly free games. Who doesn't love a free game, right? It's a brilliant tactic to get people to download the launcher and check out the store. It works. For a moment. But as that Epic employee quote perfectly encapsulates, once the freebie is claimed, many users simply vanish. Dangled keys might bring players through the virtual door, but they don't provide a compelling reason to stay and actively buy games or engage with the platform. Why? Because the underlying user experience, the store itself, has consistently felt clunky and incomplete. Free games are a powerful draw, but they're a temporary fix for a deeper problem if the platform isn't designed to retain those users long-term with genuine value and functionality.

Stuck in the Digital Slow Lane

One of the most persistent frustrations with the Epic Games Store is its sheer lack of speed. Despite being nearly a decade old, it still takes an age to load, and scrolling through your game library often feels like wading through treacle, with noticeable delays as new batches of titles pop in. This isn't just a minor annoyance; it's a fundamental flaw for a digital storefront. Even with computers becoming exponentially faster since EGS's 2017 launch, the store still feels sluggish, even in a simple list view. Epic's VP and GM, Steve Allison, acknowledged this issue in a February interview, stating the company is investing in making the launcher "feel fast and snappy." They claim a more efficient store is launching in June, and if true, that would be fantastic! However, the EGS doesn't exactly have a shining track record for hitting its improvement deadlines. Back in 2019, a public roadmap promised features like user reviews, which are still conspicuously absent today. Promises are one thing; consistent, timely delivery is another.

Steam's Ever-Evolving Ecosystem

While Epic is busy trying to improve basic performance, Valve isn't just resting on its laurels. Steam remains incredibly responsive, especially when navigating your library, and it continuously rolls out genuinely useful features. Just recently, data in Steam's beta hinted at a new system to help users determine how well games will run on their specific PC hardware – a practical, player-focused innovation. This relentless dedication to enhancing the PC gaming experience is precisely what transformed Steam from a necessary DRM into the indispensable hub it is today. Steam is more than just a place to buy games; it's an entire ecosystem. The prominent "Community" tab at the top of the window isn't just for show. It houses vibrant message boards, comprehensive user reviews, and incredibly customizable profiles. I fondly remember the craze around Trading Cards back in 2013, spending months collecting and boosting my Steam Level for profile flair. Features like these forge a deep connection with users, making Steam practically synonymous with PC gaming itself. It's why the Valve logo often stands alongside PlayStation and Xbox symbols when multiplatform titles are announced.

The Path to True Competition

Healthy competition in PC gaming is absolutely vital, and if Epic can deliver an updated store that genuinely makes people want to use it, that's a win for everyone. But that competition needs to be authentic. Simply dangling free games every week and expecting gamers to flock to a platform with a demonstrably worse user experience and virtually no community features is, frankly, a delusional strategy. Gamers are savvy. We value convenience, speed, community, and robust features. Until Epic Games prioritizes these elements with the same fervor it dedicates to securing publisher deals and distributing freebies, it will likely remain stuck in Steam's long shadow, forever struggling to be as good, let alone better.

Verdict: Still Chasing the Dragon

The Epic Games Store has had nearly a decade to prove itself as a true contender, but its journey has been characterized by slow progress and misplaced priorities. While its favorable revenue share model is a boon for developers, it's the player experience—speed, features, and community—where Steam continues to shine, proving that user loyalty is earned, not bought with free games or business-centric incentives. For EGS to ever genuinely compete, it needs to shift its focus dramatically from a publisher-first to a player-first mindset, finally delivering the snappy, feature-rich, and community-driven platform PC gamers truly deserve.

FAQ

Q: When did the Epic Games Store launch?

A: The Epic Games Store first launched in 2017, making it nearly a decade old.

Q: What is Epic's main strategy for attracting users?

A: Epic's primary strategy involves offering free games every couple of weeks, aiming to get users to download the launcher.

Q: How does Epic's revenue share compare to Steam's?

A: Epic offers a more favorable 88/12 revenue split with developers (12% to Epic), while Valve takes a larger cut, around 24%, from games sold on Steam.