How is Epic doing compared to Steam?

How is Epic doing compared to Steam?

Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite and Unreal Engine, has been making waves in the gaming industry with its own digital distribution platform, the Epic Games Store. The question on everyone’s mind is: how is Epic doing compared to Steam, the long-reigning king of digital distribution? In this article, we’ll dive into the numbers and trends to find out.

Revenue Model

One of the key differences between Epic and Steam is their revenue model. Steam takes a 30% cut of every game sale, while Epic only takes 12%. This means that developers and publishers can keep more of their hard-earned cash when selling through the Epic Games Store. This significant difference in revenue share has attracted many developers to the Epic platform.

Game Library

Steam has a massive library of over 50,000 games, while the Epic Games Store has around 2,000 titles. However, Epic has been aggressively acquiring and publishing games, including exclusive titles like Fortnite and Unreal Tournament. This has helped to attract more players to the platform.

User Base

Steam has a massive user base of over 150 million active accounts, while the Epic Games Store has around 40 million. However, Epic has been growing rapidly, with a 50% increase in users in just one year.

Revenue

Steam generates around $5 billion in revenue each year, while the Epic Games Store has generated around $1 billion in its first year. While Steam is still the clear leader in terms of revenue, Epic is closing the gap quickly.

Exclusive Games

Steam has a reputation for being a hub for indie games and smaller developers, while Epic has been focusing on attracting AAA titles and exclusives. Fortnite and Unreal Tournament are two of the most popular games on the Epic platform, and the company has announced several other exclusives in the works.

Social Features

Steam has a robust social feature set, including friend lists, chat, and community groups. Epic is still catching up in this area, but the company has announced plans to add more social features to its platform in the future.

Table: Comparison of Epic and Steam

Conclusion

While Steam is still the dominant force in the digital distribution market, Epic Games is giving the company a run for its money. Epic’s aggressive revenue model and focus on AAA titles have attracted many developers and players to the platform. As the company continues to grow and improve its social features, it’s likely that Epic will become a major player in the gaming industry.