Epic’s Free Games Still Pull Crowds, But Many PC Players Reportedly Head Back to Steam

Epic Games Store has spent years trying to position itself as the main alternative to Steam on PC. The problem is, a new report suggests plenty of players still treat it like a place to collect freebies first, then go right back to Valve’s platform after that.

According to a Los Angeles Times report cited by Kotaku, two former Epic employees said that pattern is basically the reality of the store today. Players are happy to claim the free games Epic keeps giving away, but that does not always translate into them sticking around as regular users or buyers. For a storefront that has been pushing hard to challenge Steam, that is a pretty big issue.

The numbers show Epic is not small by any means. The company said it had 78 million monthly active users last year, and it generated $400 million from non-Epic games in 2025. Even so, Epic’s global communications director Liz Markman told the Los Angeles Times those figures were "lower than our growth expectations at launch."

That tells you a lot about where Epic is at right now. The store clearly has reach, and free game drops still get attention fast. But attention and habit are two different things. Steam is still where a lot of PC players keep their libraries, social features, wishlists, reviews, and daily routine. Once that ecosystem is locked in, it is hard to pull people away just with giveaways.

For Malaysian and wider SEA gamers, this feels very familiar. A lot of players here are price-sensitive, so free games absolutely matter. If Epic is handing out something solid, of course people will claim it, especially students and younger PC players trying to stretch ringgit value as far as possible. But when it comes to actually buying games, tracking updates, modding, or just hanging out in the usual PC gaming space, many still default to Steam because that is where their friends and libraries already are.

Epic is now reportedly trying to connect its PC storefront and mobile gaming app into one platform that works across devices. On paper, that sounds like a smart next step, especially in a region like Southeast Asia where mobile gaming is massive and many players jump between phone and PC. But the rollout is getting scrutiny too. The Los Angeles Times reported that Epic spent millions on contractors to ship its 2024 mobile game store app in only seven months, feeding claims that the company has a habit of moving too fast.

That matters because rushing big platform plans can backfire hard. If the experience feels unfinished, players notice immediately. And in a market where Steam already has years of user habit behind it, Epic cannot really afford half-baked launches.

There is also the bigger picture around Epic itself. Bloomberg recently reported that the company is working on a new extraction shooter with Disney as part of a $1.5 billion partnership. It is a huge swing, but it also adds to the feeling that Epic keeps juggling multiple ambitious projects at once. Kotaku pointed to the company’s many side moves over the years, including buying ArtStation and buying, then later selling, Bandcamp.

The harsh part is that when those bets do not land, staff end up carrying the fallout. Epic recently laid off more than 1,000 employees after an unexpected drop in Fortnite engagement last year. Kotaku notes that one of the people affected was terminally ill with brain cancer, which made the layoffs even more grim.

So yes, Epic Games Store is still relevant, and the free games strategy still gets people through the door. But this latest report suggests the bigger battle is not downloads, it is loyalty. And until Epic gives players a reason to stay beyond the next free claim, Steam still looks like the platform to beat.

Source: Kotaku