- Epic Games Store users have increased by 173% over the last 6 years, going from 108 million to 295 million by the end of 2024.
- However, third-party revenue doesn’t show a similar trend, as revenue from games has only grown by 1.6%
- Epic’s CEO has also criticised the launcher previously, calling it clunky and slower than Steam.
Despite giving away free games worth thousands of Dollars, Epic Games Store has failed to overtake Steam, with Valve’s platform continuing to break records every year. Players on PC have consistently chosen Steam over EGS in the past few years, thanks to the former’s tendency to prioritize players above all else.
As it turns out, the Epic Games Store has seen a sharp increase in players since the start of this decade; however, this hasn’t led to substantial revenue growth.
Why it matters: Many think Steam has a monopoly over PC players, but that is only because competitors made mistakes and Valve offers brilliant fan service.
According to data compiled by a Reddit user, the Epic Games Store has seen its user base grow by 173% since 2019. The launcher had about 108 million players in 2019, as per Epic’s report, and this number has grown to 295 million as of December 2024.
However, third-party revenue has failed to increase by a similar margin, as the chart shows that overall gross from third-party titles has risen only 1.6%.
The company generated $255 million in third-party revenue in 2024, only $4 million more than its gross in 2019, despite having 190 million more players. Hence, it feels like users are just grabbing the free titles and heading back to Steam.
Despite substantial traffic, the Epic Games Store is failing to capture players, and if you ask Epic’s CEO, that is because the launcher is clunky and much slower compared to Steam, which just recorded its best-ever holiday season in December 2025.
With the company’s exclusivity deals also not turning out too well, it feels like the so-called Steam monopoly is here to stay.
Do you think Epic Games Store will ever be able to challenge Steam’s monopoly? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devotedly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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