Epic Games Store Plans Major Overhaul with Speed, Features, and a Full Redesign
Epic Games has announced a sweeping series of updates and a "ground-up rebuild" of its Epic Games Store launcher, set to roll out over the next year. The announcement was made during a presentation at the Unreal Fest conference in Chicago. The revamp comes as the platform, launched in 2018, reports significant user growth—but a stark disparity in third-party revenue.
Immediate Updates: Stage One
The first phase of the roadmap includes critical quality-of-life improvements:
- "Chunked" installations for Fortnite, allowing users to download parts of the game separately.
- Direct publication of patch notes by third-party developers.
- Pre-registration options for free-to-play games.
- Improvements to library management.
- Support for a wider range of controllers.
Future Features: Stages Two and Three
The subsequent phases will introduce long-requested community and personalization features:
- Player profiles with custom avatars.
- A system for written user reviews.
- Publisher-funded coupons for discounts.
- Improved personalized recommendations on the home screen.
- Cross-region game gifting.
- Tools to check game performance on a user's specific computer.
Launcher Redesign: A "Ground-Up Rebuild"
Epic described the planned launcher update as a fundamental overhaul. The company stated the new launcher aims for:
- A five times faster cold start.
- A six times faster restoration of the user library.
"Every developer in this room and every player we have has experienced challenges with the current launcher. It's time for a change."
— Epic Representative at Unreal Fest
A public beta is planned for the second stage of the rollout, with the full storefront redesign arriving in the final stage.
Background and Company Statements
The Epic Games Store launched in 2018 to compete with established PC gaming platforms. Reports from 2021 indicated significant financial losses on exclusivity deals, and court documents from 2023 showed the store had not become profitable five years after launch.
In a separate interview with Eurogamer earlier in 2024, Epic Vice President and General Manager Steve Allison described the current launcher as "really slow." CEO Tim Sweeney stated on the Lex Fridman Podcast that the company wants "to have all of the convenience features that make it as easy and fun to use as Steam."
User Growth vs. Revenue: A Growing Discrepancy
The Epic Games Store reported a massive increase in its user base, from 108 million in 2019 to 295 million in 2024—a growth of 173%.
However, during this same period, third-party revenue on the platform grew by only 1.6%.
This stark discrepancy has been attributed to the platform’s strategy of offering free game giveaways, which attracts users who log in frequently to claim free titles but reportedly make few purchases. The Epic Games Store generated over $1.09 billion in total revenue in 2024.
For context:
- Steam reported $1.6 billion in revenue for the month of December 2024 alone.
- Xbox PC, another competitor, utilizes a subscription model via Game Pass, which reported 45% year-over-year growth.
Feature History and Current Gaps
Since its launch, the Epic Games Store has added several features that were initially absent:
- User reviews (added 2022)
- Wishlists (added 2021)
- Achievements (added 2021)
- Gifting (added 2025)
- Messaging system (added 2025)
As of this announcement, the platform continues to lack:
- Family sharing
- Mod support
Both of these features are already available on competing platforms like Steam.