Epic Games Store vs. Steam: Why the battle is not yet won

Analysis of the competition between stores: performance, features, market share, and Epic's promises for improvement.

Context: the dispute has evolved since 2017

The Epic Games Store was launched in 2017. Although it has gained a search function, the store still lags well behind Steam in speed, features, and community focus.

According to an Epic executive, most users come for the free games and then leave, reflecting the reliance on promotions to attract users.

When money and strategy meet

Regarding revenue sharing, Epic offers 12% to developers, well below the 24% charged by Steam. Even so, this does not automatically translate into a proportional market share. Data indicates that Steam generated about $1.6 billion in December 2025, while Epic totaled $1.16 billion for the entire year of 2025.

What helps Steam is a loyal user base that has been on the platform for years. Epic, on the other hand, bets on free game promotions to attract users, but this does not always result in long-term retention, especially with a store that is criticized for being slow and lacking community features.

UX and community challenges

Epic claims to be investing in making the launcher faster and more intuitive. However, the store still receives criticism regarding slow load times and the absence of robust community features, which hinders user loyalty.

What was promised and what is missing

In 2019, Epic released a roadmap of features that were supposed to come to the app. Some functionalities have been implemented, but items like user reviews still do not appear in the store.

How Steam stays ahead

Steam offers an agile browsing experience, with useful features and a complete community ecosystem — user reviews, customizable profiles, and trading cards, items that have helped shape the culture of PC gaming.

Conclusion

To truly compete, Epic needs to offer more than just promotions. Speed, social features, and a store integrated into the PC gaming ecosystem are crucial. Today, Steam is the benchmark, but the space for healthy competition remains open.

What is your opinion: can Epic still dethrone Steam, or has Valve already consolidated its dominance? Leave your comment below.

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