Epic taps Blizzard’s Battle.net lead to fix the Epic Games Store as Steam dominates
Epic Games has reportedly brought in Battle.net's lead from Blizzard to help overhaul the Epic Games Store, as the platform continues to struggle against Steam's dominant position in PC gaming. The move signals Epic's ongoing efforts to strengthen its storefront's features and user experience in a bid to compete more effectively with Valve's long-established platform.
Despite years of exclusivity deals and free game giveaways aimed at building its user base, the Epic Games Store has failed to significantly dent Steam's market share, which remains the overwhelming choice for PC gamers. Bringing in experienced leadership from a major competing service such as Battle.net suggests Epic is looking to apply proven expertise in storefront and platform management to close the gap.
In short
- Epic hires Blizzard's Battle.net lead for its store
- Move aims to help Epic compete with Steam
- Epic Games Store has long trailed Steam's market share
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of Epic's competitive efforts argue that Steam's long-standing market dominance has stifled innovation and consumer choice in PC gaming. Investing in alternative platforms through exclusivity deals that fund game development, free games that benefit consumers, and top-tier talent represents legitimate competition that strengthens the industry overall. A genuinely competitive marketplace with multiple viable platforms ultimately serves consumers better than relying on a single entrenched player.
The case against
Critics contend that Epic's strategy fundamentally misunderstands the problem. Rather than investing billions in exclusivity contracts and giveaways to artificially inflate its user base, Epic should focus on making the Epic Games Store genuinely superior to Steam. Steam's dominance is earned through superior service and user experience, not imposed; attempting to force users onto an inferior platform through financial incentives rather than product quality wastes resources and frustrates consumers without addressing why gamers consistently choose Steam of their own accord.
Explained simply
The Epic Games Store is a digital marketplace where PC gamers buy and download games, created by Epic Games to compete with Steam, the leading PC games marketplace. Most players use Steam as their primary or exclusive source for games.
Epic has spent years attempting to attract users through exclusive game releases and regular free game giveaways, yet the Epic Games Store has failed to gain substantial market share. This suggests that exclusive content alone is insufficient to overcome Steam's advantages in features and established player loyalty.
Recognising this challenge, Epic has shifted its strategy towards improving the fundamental experience of using its platform by bringing in experienced leaders from other gaming platforms like Blizzard's Battle.net. This indicates the company believes lasting competition requires offering a store that players genuinely prefer to use, rather than relying solely on exclusive content.