Epic Games Store retention weak

Epic Games’ free-game strategy is still pulling in users, but Epic says too few of them turn into regular buyers on the store. (ign.com) Steve Allison, the Epic Games Store vice president and general manager, told Polygon in February 2026 that users who claim a free game convert to paying customers at about 16% over time, while Epic wants that figure closer to 25%. He also said about 60% of Epic’s customers are shared with Steam. (polygon.com) Allison told IGN in February 2026 that when Epic gives away a game, Steam often benefits too: concurrent players for that game on Steam rise by about 40% on average during the promotion. He said more than 77% of the 100 games Epic gave away in 2025 set all-time peak concurrent-user records on Epic’s own store. (ign.com) That leaves Epic with a familiar problem eight years after launching the store on December 6, 2018: giveaways drive traffic, but Steam still dominates where many PC players browse, review, and buy games. Epic launched the store promising developers an 88% revenue share, compared with the 70% split common on rival stores at the time. (store.epicgames.com) (unrealengine.com) Epic’s own 2024 year-in-review showed the tension clearly. The company said Epic Games Store PC users rose to 295 million in 2024, but peak monthly active users slipped to 74 million from 75 million, and spending on third-party games processed through Epic Payments fell 18% to $255 million. (store.epicgames.com) The 2025 numbers improved, at least on sales. Epic said third-party PC game spending climbed 57% to $400 million, total PC player spending reached $1.16 billion, and monthly active users hit a record 78 million in December 2025, even as average monthly active users fell 1% to 67 million and average daily active users fell 2% to 31 million. (store.epicgames.com) (ign.com) Epic is responding with store changes instead of ending the giveaway program. Allison told IGN the company is rebuilding the PC store so the launcher uses less memory and feels faster, and Epic’s 2025 year-in-review said new features planned for 2026 include pre-loading, gifting, and a download manager. (ign.com) (store.epicgames.com) Epic is also trying to turn Fortnite into a sales tool for the wider store. Polygon reported in February 2026 that 40 games releasing in 2026 would include Fortnite items as a gift with purchase through Epic Games Store listings. (polygon.com) The free games are not going away. Allison told Polygon the weekly program remains central to Epic’s push against Steam, even as Epic hunts for smaller developers and more titles that can bring players into the store and keep them there. (polygon.com)