The Epic Games Store is Epic Games' free digital storefront for PC and mobile, offering weekly free games and a developer-friendly revenue share. See details.
The Epic Games Store is a digital distribution platform for PC and mobile games and software, launched in December 2018 by Epic Games as a direct challenger to Valve's Steam. Epic Games itself was founded in 1991 by Tim Sweeney (originally as Potomac Computer Systems) and is best known for creating the Unreal Engine and the Fortnite franchise; the company is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina.
The storefront functions as a free client application where users browse, purchase, download, and launch games and applications, similar in basic mechanics to Steam or GOG, but built around Epic's own catalog partnerships and exclusivity deals with publishers.
The store's headline consumer feature is its recurring free game promotions, giving away paid titles on a regular cadence, which has been a major driver of account sign-ups since launch. Its library also includes exclusive titles secured through publisher deals, alongside standard storefront features like cloud saves, achievements, and cross-platform play support for many titles.
For developers, the platform's revenue-sharing terms are its most distinctive feature: since June 2025, developers keep 100% of the first $1 million in net revenue per product per year, with a 12% cut applied afterward — a structure Epic frames as far more favorable than the roughly 30% cut historically charged by Steam and mobile app stores. Games built with Unreal Engine and sold through the store also have Epic's separate engine royalty waived.
For consumers, the Epic Games Store client is entirely free to download and use; users only pay for the individual games or software they choose to purchase, and regularly receive additional titles for free through Epic's giveaway program.
For developers and publishers distributing through the store, there's no listing fee, but Epic takes a revenue share on sales — 0% on the first $1 million in net revenue per product annually, then 12% afterward, with the Unreal Engine royalty waived for games sold through the store.
Yes, downloading and using the store client is completely free; you only pay for the individual games and software you purchase.
Since June 2025, developers keep 100% of the first $1 million in net revenue per product per year, after which Epic applies a 12% cut.
Yes, it regularly gives away paid PC games for free on a recurring schedule, a long-running customer acquisition strategy since the store's 2018 launch.
It's owned and operated by Epic Games, Inc., founded in 1991 by Tim Sweeney and headquartered in Cary, North Carolina.
For products earning under $1 million a year, yes — Epic charges 0% versus Steam's roughly 30% standard cut, and 12% above that threshold versus Steam's tiered rates.