Full Breakdown
Epic Games Store Reports Significant Growth in 2025
2/4/2026, 7:42:16 PM
Record Revenue and User Engagement
In 2025, the Epic Games Store announced a remarkable 57% year-over-year increase in third-party game revenue, reaching $400 million. This growth was accompanied by a 4% rise in time spent on third-party games, totaling 2.78 billion hours, and a record 78 million monthly active users (MAUs) in December. Overall player spending on the Epic Games Store increased by 6% to $1.16 billion, although total gameplay hours decreased by 14% compared to the previous year.
Key Features and Initiatives
The Epic Games Store's success can be attributed to several strategic initiatives. The store now features over 6,000 games, significantly less than Steam's approximately 120,000 titles. Epic's free games program has been particularly effective, reportedly leading to a 40% increase in concurrent user counts on Steam when titles are offered for free on the Epic platform. In 2025, players claimed 662 million titles through this program, with over 70% of the games reaching peak concurrent user records during their promotional periods.
Epic Games Store General Manager Steve Allison emphasized that the store's growth strategy does not focus on exclusives but rather on encouraging developers to distribute their games across both platforms. He stated, "Our growth is going to come from shifting the share of sales on games shipping in both places."
Developer Incentives and Challenges
Epic offers competitive terms for developers, including an 88/12 revenue split and a program allowing developers to retain 100% of their revenue until they reach $1 million in sales. This approach aims to attract smaller studios that may struggle under traditional revenue-sharing models. However, Allison acknowledged the ongoing challenge of attracting content, noting, "Getting content here is really hard."
Criticism and Market Position
Despite the positive growth metrics, the Epic Games Store continues to lag behind Steam in terms of overall market share and game availability. A survey indicated that for many developers, Steam accounts for over 75% of their revenue. Critics have pointed out that while the Epic Games Store attracts users with free games, it struggles to convert them into paying customers. Allison responded to this narrative, asserting that the store is making significant progress in user engagement and spending.
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, Allison expressed optimism about the potential for growth in both PC and mobile gaming. He projected that the Epic Games Store could reach 100 million MAUs on PC within the next four years and aims for a 20-30% share of total spending in the market. He also highlighted the importance of mobile platforms, stating that upcoming rulings and deals could open new avenues for the store's expansion.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our growth is going to come from shifting the share of sales on games shipping in both places.” — Steve Allison, General Manager, Epic Games Store
- “When we see things like that Dataisbeautiful Reddit post where they have all these users and nobody spends money, it's kind of bullshit.” — Steve Allison, General Manager, Epic Games Store
- “Getting content here is really hard” — Steve Allison, General Manager, Epic Games Store
The Epic Games Store's performance in 2025 illustrates a significant upward trend in revenue and user engagement, although challenges remain in competing with established platforms like Steam.
