On the 4th, the Epic Games Store unveiled its 'Epic Store 2025 Performance' report, detailing last year's operational milestones and the roadmap for 2026. According to Epic, 2025 was a year of record-breaking metrics, driven by aggressive pricing, consistent free game distributions on PC and mobile, and the Epic Rewards program. Looking ahead to 2026, the company is doubling down on platform refinement and social feature expansion.

Player spending on third-party PC games surged by 57% year-on-year to hit $400 million (approx. 580.9 billion KRW), a new all-time high. Total playtime reached 2.78 billion hours, with 35% of this generated by titles employing their own payment systems. Monthly active users on PC soared past 78 million, marking another historic peak.

While total playtime across the board dipped to 6.65 billion hours compared to the previous year, third-party game engagement actually saw a 4% uptick. Meanwhile, PC-specific player spending rose 6% year-on-year to $1.16 billion (approx. 1.6848 trillion KRW).

The free-to-play strategy continues to be the primary engine for user acquisition. In 2025, free game downloads hit a staggering 662 million. During these free promotion windows, over 77% of games saw their concurrent player peaks smashed, with those same titles enjoying an average 40% boost in concurrent players on Steam as well.

The year also marked a shift in developer support. Since June 2025, Epic implemented a fresh revenue share model allowing developers to keep 100% of their first $1 million in net revenue per product, before reverting to the standard 88/12 split. Furthermore, they rolled out the Epic Web Store, empowering developers to build their own shops and sell in-game content directly to players.

User experience was clearly a priority in 2025, both on PC and mobile. The Epic Games Store introduced a new download manager to bolster installation speeds and added a gifting feature. On the mobile front, they expanded support for third-party titles, introduced free games, and polished app responsiveness. With the launch of the Epic App, users gained two-factor authentication security and cross-platform text chat, tying Fortnite, the mobile app, and the PC launcher together in one ecosystem.

As for 2026, Epic is pivoting toward platform sophistication and social connectivity. The launcher's architecture is getting a facelift to improve loading speeds and stability. They are also building out community hubs and beefing up cross-platform chat. By Q2, expect voice chat and game-agnostic party systems, alongside expanded support for external developers via Epic Online Services.

In the first half of the year, they are launching a sales support program that leverages the global reach of Fortnite. Early partners include Capcom, Pearl Abyss, Mintrocket, and Kakao Games. Players who purchase these games will be rewarded with Fortnite cosmetic items and matching character avatars for their Epic profiles.

An Epic Games representative remarked, "We are striving to build a fair and open marketplace for both players and developers," adding that they remain committed to enhancing developer support and user experience.