The general manager of the Epic Games Store, Steve Allison, has stated that the platform’s vision was never to unseat its dominant competitor, Valve’s Steam. In a recent statement, Allison emphasized the importance of Steam within the PC Gaming ecosystem and explicitly ruled out the goal of overtaking it. This declaration clarifies the company’s long-term strategy for its digital storefront, positioning it for coexistence rather than direct market conquest.
Clarifying the Competitive Landscape
Steve Allison made his comments during an industry discussion, providing a rare, candid assessment of the Epic Games Store’s market position. “Steam is a huge part of the PC ecosystem,” Allison stated. He added definitively, “It’s not going away. We’re not going to topple Steam.” This marks a significant shift in public messaging from the store’s earlier, more aggressive market entry phase, which was characterized by exclusive game deals and a direct challenge to Steam’s revenue share model.
The Epic Games Store launched in late 2018, quickly becoming a major topic within the PC gaming industry. Its primary differentiators included a more favorable revenue split for developers, offering 88% of sales compared to Steam’s then-standard 70%, and a strategy of securing timed exclusives for major PC game releases. These moves were widely interpreted as a direct assault on Steam’s market dominance, which has been estimated to control a substantial majority of digital PC game sales for over a decade.
Focus on Market Expansion and Developer Support
Allison’s statements suggest a strategic pivot towards sustainable growth and market coexistence. The focus appears to be on expanding the overall PC gaming market and providing a viable alternative for developers and publishers, rather than engaging in a winner-takes-all battle. The Epic Games Store has continued to offer weekly free games to its users, a customer acquisition strategy that has distributed hundreds of millions of free copies, while also maintaining its developer-friendly revenue terms.
Industry analysts note that the PC Digital Distribution market has ample room for multiple storefronts. Other platforms, such as GOG, itch.io, and publisher-specific stores like EA App and Ubisoft Connect, also operate alongside Steam. The Epic Games Store’s strategy of coexistence acknowledges the entrenched user habits, feature sets, and vast library that have cemented Steam’s position as the market leader.
Reactions and Future Implications
The reaction from the gaming community and industry observers has been mixed. Some view Allison’s comments as a pragmatic acknowledgment of market reality after several years of operation. Others see it as a signal that Epic’s aggressive exclusivity deals may become less frequent as the store seeks to build its library and features, such as a shopping cart and user reviews, which were missing at launch but have since been added.
For developers, the Epic Games Store remains an important platform due to its financial terms and promotional opportunities. The store’s continued operation as a major, well-funded competitor is seen as a positive force that pressures all market participants, including Steam, to maintain competitive rates and innovate on features. Valve has responded to the competitive landscape by revising its own revenue share tiers for top-selling games.
Looking ahead, the path of coexistence outlined by Steve Allison indicates that the Epic Games Store will likely continue to build its feature set and game library while focusing on its core value propositions. Future developments are expected to center on improving the user experience, expanding the catalog through both exclusives and multi-store releases, and potentially exploring new market segments. The ongoing competition between the two storefronts is anticipated to drive further evolution in PC game distribution, benefiting both content creators and consumers through continued innovation and choice.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
