Epic Games’ Free Giveaways Are Having A Surprisingly Major Consequence

by

For over ten years, Steam has been the dominant platform for PC gaming. However, platforms like Epic Games are competing by offering a lot of free games. Recently, the developers of Ultrakill suggested that this strategy might not be working as well for Epic as they’d like.

So, New Blood’s CEO, DaveOshry, posted on X that when they made Blood West free on Epic Games, Steam sales went absolutely crazy – over 200% higher! He basically said giving the game away on Epic is awesome advertising for Steam, and honestly, a lot of other players agreed. It seems a ton of people checked it out on Epic and then decided to buy it on Steam – makes sense to me!

Epic Games Store Is Giving Steam Plenty Of Free Advertising

It’s well known that most gamers prefer Steam, but it’s still striking how many are choosing to buy games just to avoid using the Epic Games Launcher. Even with Epic’s generous free game offerings, including a big title like Hogwarts Legacy, it doesn’t look like people’s preference for Steam will change soon.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed these free game promotions, and it’s interesting how they work for developers. Apparently, Epic Games just gives them a fixed amount of money to offer the game for free for a day – they don’t get paid extra for every download. So, when a game like one from New Blood has a free weekend and then goes on sale on Steam, it’s a huge benefit for everyone involved. The studio gets more visibility and makes money, which is awesome!

Honestly, this platform still has a long way to go if it wants to challenge Steam. My biggest worry is how long they can keep giving away free games – it feels like they’re just sending players straight to Steam, which doesn’t make a lot of sense long-term.

Steam’s PC Dominance Isn’t Going Away Anytime Soon

A key part of the discussion between Epic Games and Steam revolves around how much money each platform keeps from sales. Steam’s 30% fee has received a lot of criticism from both gamers and developers. However, Oshry also pointed out that even if Epic offered a lower percentage, it wouldn’t matter much if their overall sales numbers were significantly lower.

While Steam offers many free games, its biggest strength isn’t just the games themselves – it’s the strong community it’s built. With features like community hubs, shared screenshots, and social connections, Steam provides a lot more than just a place to buy games. This makes it hard to convince people to switch to other platforms, even for a few exclusive titles.

Read More

2026-01-25 19:00