The Epic Games Store’s sudden appearance at the end of 2018 received a mixed reaction from gamers, some welcoming it as much needed competition, others questioning its ability to compete with Steam. Two years later, the storefront has secured a spot for itself in the PC landscape, reaching 160 million users and reporting player spending of over $700 million (not counting coupons, promotions, or the publisher’s funding) in 2020.
The past year brought “historic growth in engagement across the board,” Epic Games said in an e-mailed press release. The number of daily active users went up by 192% (31.3 million). The storefront also reached a new record of 13 million concurrent players, compared to 2019’s 7 million.
The Epic Games Store also greatly increased its library of available titles to 471 in 2020. That’s 281 more than in the prior year, and the company plans “to rapidly expand the catalog of new titles available on the Epic Games Store even further by providing developers with self-publishing tools.”
The storefront also overhauled its front page look, added achievements and mod support, alongside features like new currencies, price-based filters, offline sign-in, self-service refunds, and more.
Players will also be treated to weekly free games throughout 2021. Further improvements to its wishlist and achievements, player profiles, and a social overhaul are also planned, as part of Epic’s “major priority to release more community-oriented features that provide a more personalized experience.” It looks like the Epic Games Store is here to stay.
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