The Epic Games Store is adding new features in 2021, as part of a broader social update that aims to improve overall user experience. The social panel will receive the first set of changes later this month, with the addition of player cards that allow users to manage friendships and see mutual friends of the people on their list.
Search improvements are also on the way, results including “mutual friend count, the ability to search across platforms, and better matching overall.” Additionally, clicking the Join button attached to a pending game invite will launch the appropriate game and take you to your friend’s match automatically.
The social panel is also getting a minimized view embedded in the Store screen. It not only shows notifications like game invites and friend requests, but also no longer requires users to open a separate window. And, lastly, the Do Not Disturb button will make sure that your gaming session doesn’t get interrupted by pesky notifications.
“In the future, the Epic Games Launcher will feature a new party system that enables players to group together and communicate via voice, text, and more. You’ll drop in or drop out at any point of a party experience with shared controls among all teammates. Talk to your friends and teammates whether you are playing a game or hanging out while searching for a new game to play together,” Epic said about more distant plans.
This system will include an Active Party Window that will feature “a host of options with your friends and teammates to communicate and play.” These include sharing highlights and starting to play a game alongside only certain members of the party while still being able to talk to everyone else. Parties will also be shown in-game.
Epic Games is also vaulting the whispers feature due to low user interest, but is “hopeful to bring it back later with improved functionality for messaging your friends.”
The Epic Games Store didn’t launch with all that many features, putting it well behind its main competitor – Steam, but has since gradually improved. Its store and library pages have received a facelift, mod support was added, as was a wishlist, to name a few.
At the start of 2021, Epic has also committed to yet another year of free games for all users.
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