The Epic Games Store will soon receive many long-requested features and a major launcher redesign if a newly revealed roadmap pans out accordingly.
Epic Games outlined next steps for the future of its PC digital storefront during a presentation at Unreal Fest in Chicago earlier this week. Slides shared online by X/Twitter user @LuKaOnIndeed feature highlights from Epic’s goals for the next 12 months as it seeks to redesign the store for gamers and developers alike (via VGC).
It’s a long, long list of bullet points, including “up first” highlights like Fortnite chunked installation, third-party patch notes, pre-registration for free-to-play games, storefront rearchitecture, library management improvements, and other features that are expected to arrive for Epic Games Store sooner rather than later. Some of its “up next” updates, which seem slightly further off, include player profiles and avatars, user-written reviews, publisher-funded coupons, and search improvements.
It’s unclear if Epic intends to roll out these new Epic Games Store features in waves, and there is no specific release date for any particular update or the storefront redesign. Still, things like user reviews and third-party patch notes could go a long way for users who have been hesitant to start purchasing their PC games with the Fortnite maker.
Epic Games Store launched in 2018 as Epic’s own take on a PC gaming hub. It has attempted to entice both developers and gamers with the promise of offerings like exclusive games, free cross-platform online services, and free games for users.
“As a developer ourselves, we have always wanted a platform with great economics that connects us directly with our players,” Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said at the time. “Thanks to the success of Fortnite, we now have this and are ready to share it with other developers.”
However, the Epic Games Store seems to have struggled to stand toe-to-toe with Steam since its launch. In 2021, it was reported that the company had lost hundreds of millions of dollars to exclusivity deals alone. Court documents revealed in 2023 that Epic had failed to make its store profitable five years post-launch.
One thing that’s kept many from adopting Epic into their gaming lives is features they feel should have been included at launch. Some have arrived in the years since, with even more promised in today’s 12-month roadmap. One slide from the aforementioned Unreal Fest presentation also promised that this “ground-up rebuild” for the launcher will result in a five-times faster cold start.
“Every developer in this room and every player we have has experienced challenges with the current launcher,” the slide added. “It’s time for a change.”
IGN interviewed VP and GM of the Epic Games Store, Steve Allison, earlier this year to check in with the team and learn about its future. For more while we wait to see when and how these new redesign changes will be implemented, you can read why some think the Epic Games Store will never be as good as Steam.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
