Epic Games is preparing significant changes to the Epic Games Store, including a faster launcher, redesigned storefront and more personalised recommendations. However, a games industry analyst has questioned whether the improvements will be enough to loosen Steam’s longstanding grip on the PC gaming market.
Epic Games Store Faces Difficult Battle Against Steam
Epic has spent much of 2026 outlining plans to overhaul its PC storefront. The changes are intended to make the launcher faster and improve the way users discover and browse games.
Despite those efforts, Emmanuel Rosier, director of market intelligence at Newzoo, has expressed doubts about the platform’s prospects of mounting a meaningful recovery against Steam.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Rosier said: “I don’t see how they can recover at this point”.
His assessment centres largely on Steam’s entrenched position among PC players, many of whom have built extensive game libraries on Valve’s platform over many years.
Free Games Have Not Necessarily Created Lasting Engagement
The Epic Games Store has used regular free-game giveaways as one of its most visible methods of attracting users.
Rosier argued that while this strategy can encourage people to open the Epic launcher and claim titles, it does not necessarily persuade them to use the platform as their main destination for PC gaming.
“I don’t really see how they can turn that around because Steam has become so inevitable,” he said. “The Epic Games Store, they get players by giving free games, but people just go, they log in, they get the free games, they don’t even play them. You know, it’s almost like collecting games rather than actually playing them.”
According to Rosier’s analysis, giveaways can even have the unintended effect of increasing interest in a title on Steam, as some players prefer to maintain their games within a single established library rather than spread purchases across several launchers.
Epic Has Been Fighting on Several Fronts
Epic’s challenge in PC gaming also comes against the backdrop of its wider disputes and competition across the technology industry.
The company has challenged Apple and Google over mobile app distribution while simultaneously attempting to establish the Epic Games Store as a serious rival to Steam.
“The challenge I think Epic is facing is that they try to win everywhere in the past few years,” Rosier said. “They try to win against Steam, they try to win against Apple, against Google Play, and probably they run out of steam on where they cannot fight all these battles at the same time.”
For UK PC players, the underlying issue is familiar: digital storefront choice increasingly depends not only on price but also on existing game libraries, social features, convenience and familiarity with a particular platform.
Fortnite Offers a More Positive Picture for Epic
Rosier was considerably more optimistic about Epic Games as a developer, particularly when assessing the recent direction of Fortnite.
He pointed to Epic’s renewed focus on the hugely successful game and its increasing use of crossover content involving characters from other major gaming franchises.
The current season includes cosmetics connected with Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man, alongside Sora from Kingdom Hearts and Joker from Persona 5.
“You can see they put a lot of thought in Fortnite right now,” Rosier said. “They are doing everything they can, and I think it’s working better when you look at the state of Fortnite today compared to six months or one year ago.”
The collaborations demonstrate how Fortnite continues to operate not simply as a battle royale game but as a broader entertainment platform capable of bringing together intellectual property from across the games industry.
Epic Still Has Wider Storefront Ambitions
Despite doubts over its ability to challenge Steam directly, Epic has not abandoned plans to expand the reach of its digital storefront.
Earlier in 2026, Epic Games executive Steve Allison said Xbox had “welcome[d]” the possibility of bringing the Epic storefront to its hardware.
Discussing the prospect of appearing on the next Xbox console, Allison said: “we’re going to be there, like, on day one”.
Such an expansion could give Epic another route to reach players beyond its traditional PC audience, depending on how Microsoft approaches third-party storefronts on future Xbox hardware.
Steam Remains the Main Obstacle
Epic’s planned launcher overhaul could address longstanding complaints about speed, navigation and game discovery, but Rosier’s assessment suggests the larger challenge is changing established consumer behaviour.
Steam’s extensive user base, mature feature set and years of accumulated game libraries make it difficult for competitors to persuade players to move elsewhere.
Epic Games may therefore find greater momentum through Fortnite and expansion onto additional platforms than through attempting to displace Steam directly. Its forthcoming storefront improvements could make the Epic Games Store more competitive, but whether they can fundamentally alter the balance of the PC gaming market remains uncertain.
Thomas Hardy is a contributor to OE Mag, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current affairs and developments that matter to them. His work highlights relevant stories, emerging trends, and key issues, presenting them in a balanced, accessible, and reader-friendly way.