Today, Epic Games Store released a quick summary of the success of their store in 2023. Although income and user base have increased significantly, gamers are becoming less likely to spend money on third-party games. Continue reading to learn more about the Epic Games Store’s 2023 Year in Review.
The Epic Games Store, which just published its 2023 year in review, is still making headlines in the PC gaming community. Despite notable advancements in player count and game freebies, the business continues to encounter obstacles in its pursuit of profitability.
The astounding amount of games that were given away for free is one of the year in review’s most notable facts. A total of 86 titles, with an estimated retail value of more than $2,000, were available on the Epic titles Store. More than 580 million games were downloaded through the giveaway offer, demonstrating how effective this tactic was in drawing millions of customers to the shop.
It appears that PC gamers spent a significant amount of money on the Epic Games Store in 2023, according to data that Epic has released for the store.
Players spent $950 million on the Epic Games Store last year, up over $130 million from the previous year, according to Epic’s statistics. However, third-party spending is lower in 2023 than it was in 2022, with $310 million going toward third-party games compared to $355 million in 2022.
December 2022 saw 67 million monthly active users on Epic, a 10% increase from December 2022’s 75 million users. The enormous success of Fortnite projects like Lego Fortnite and Rocket Racing undoubtedly contributed to those numbers.
In contrast to its competitor, Steam, the Epic Games Store still has a long way to go, even with the notable rise in user base. According to the data, the store saw a 10% gain from the previous year in December 2023, reaching 75 million monthly active users. By the end of 2021, however, Valve’s platform had an astounding 132 million monthly active users.
EGS currently has over 270 million PC users, up 40 million from the end of 2022, according to the figures. Eight hundred and forty-four million accounts have been made on all platforms combined. There were 36.1 million concurrent users on a daily peak. There are 75 million active players per month, which is an increase of 7 million from the year before. With the addition of almost 1300 new games in 2023, the store now has 2900 games available for purchase.
The revenue figures, however, paint a rather less sanguine picture. Even though users spent a whopping $950 million on EGS—a 16% rise from 2022—a significant chunk of that amount is attributable to Epic’s first-party titles. On the other hand, third-party title revenues, which make up only $310 million and represent 32.6% of the total, have decreased by 13% year over year. This is true even with the growing player base and a ton of exclusive content from Epic Games, including Alan Wake 2.
Spending by players on the Epic Games Store saw a favorable trend, increasing by 16% to reach $950 million in total in 2023. Top games on the shop in terms of player spending and interaction were Grand Theft Auto 5, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Rocket League, and Dead Island 2.
Even with these striking numbers, the Epic Games Store is still not profitable. Even after over five years of existence, store manager Steve Allison publicly acknowledged in November 2023 that the store still serves as a loss leader for the business.
Epic Games’ primary goal is to increase the number of users on the store, which is why they use tactics like exclusive game releases, weekly free giveaways, and an 88/12 income split for developers as opposed to Steam’s 70/30 split. All things considered, the Epic Games Store has come a long way toward realizing its goal of becoming a dominant force in the PC gaming industry. To compete with well-established rivals like Steam, the store will need to keep up its creative tactics while the road to profitability remains difficult.
During 2023, Epic provided 86 free games, 17 of which were offered in conjunction with the storefront’s holiday festivities. Over the course of the year, about 586 million free games were claimed, with an average score of 75%.
The fact that Genshin Impact was one of the most played games on the Epic Games Store in 2023 based on “player spend and engagement” won’t come as a surprise. Along with Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto 5, Dead Island 2, and Rocket League, it is a component of Epic’s Mythic tier.
FIFA 23, Red Dead Redemption 2, Alan Wake 2, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, and Hogwarts Legacy are available on the Legendary tier.
The following titles are included in an additional tier aptly called “Epic”: Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Fall Guys, Civilization VI, Dead by Daylight, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Honkai: Star Rail. In closing, Epic shares its excitement for what’s in store for the Epic Games Store in 2024.
This year’s highlights include a brand-new download manager, as well as enhancements to the offline mode, social features, and other areas of the shop. In 2024, Epic intends to provide support for outside subscription services to the Epic Games Store.
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