The Epic Games Store is no longer just a niche competitor to Steam—it’s a growing force in PC gaming, with 2025 marking a year of record-breaking engagement and revenue. The platform’s third-party game sales surged by 57%, hitting $400 million, while monthly active users peaked at 78 million in December. Even more striking is that this figure excludes revenue from games handling their own payments, such as EA Sports FC 26, Marvel Rivals, Valorant, and Grand Theft Auto V, which developers retain 100% of.
Player activity in third-party titles also set new highs, with 2.78 billion hours spent—up from 2.68 billion in 2024. However, overall gameplay hours declined slightly to 6.65 billion, down from 7.72 billion the prior year. The store’s free games program remains a key driver, with 100 titles distributed in 2025, totaling 662 million claimed copies and a combined value of $2,316. Epic’s aggressive push into the market has expanded its user base to 317 million, up from 295 million in 2024.
Looking ahead, Epic is overhauling its storefront with a major launcher redesign set for Summer 2026. The update promises faster load times, improved stability, and new social features, including voice chat and cross-platform libraries. The company is also introducing localized storefronts to better cater to regional preferences, reinforcing its commitment to a more open and developer-friendly ecosystem.
- Third-party sales: $400 million (57% growth from 2024)
- Excluded revenue: Games with self-processed payments (e.g., Valorant, GTA V)
- Third-party gameplay hours: 2.78 billion (up from 2.68 billion)
- Total gameplay hours: 6.65 billion (down from 7.72 billion)
- Monthly active users (Dec 2025): 78 million
- Total PC users: 317 million (up from 295 million)
- Free games distributed: 100 titles, 662 million copies claimed
- Total game library: 6,000+ titles
- Launcher overhaul: Summer 2026 release (faster performance, social features, regional storefronts)
The Epic Games Store’s growth underscores its appeal to both players and developers, particularly with its 100% revenue share for self-paying games—a direct response to past legal battles over payment processing. While Steam remains the dominant platform, Epic’s aggressive expansion, free game strategy, and upcoming technical upgrades position it as a serious alternative for gamers seeking variety and value.
