Can the Epic Games Store turn things around? ‘I don’t see how they can recover at this point,’ says Newzoo analyst
Can the Epic Games Store turn things around? 'I don't see how they can recover at this point,' says Newzoo analyst is the focus of a new gaming update, and the useful part is understanding what has actually changed or been announced. Gaming Industry Can the Epic Games Store turn things around?
What Happened
'I don't see how they can recover at this point,' says Newzoo analyst News By Jody Macgregor Published 23 August 2026 Adding features to the storefront and making its launcher run more smoothly might be too little, too late. That technical overhaul will apparently be accompanied by changes to the storefront including personalized game recommendations, quick-access categories, and patch notes right there on the shop. All stuff that would have been nice to have at the end of 2018 when the Epic launcher arrived, but is it too late for a recovery? I asked Emmanuel Rosier, director of market intelligence at industry analysts Newzoo."I don't really see how they can turn that around," Rosier says, "because Steam has become so inevitable. 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." You may like Epic says the 'ground-up rebuild' of its launcher offers 5-6.5x improved performance, and the Epic Games Store is getting a big redesign Tim Sweeney on the future of games, AI, and whether Valve will ever join forces with Epic: 'It's now clear that nobody's going to end up with an absolute monopoly' Blizzard's former Battle.net lead is moving his expertise over to the Epic Games Store to 'elevate player, creator, and developer experiences' One shift in Fortnite has been a bigger push to incorporate cosmetics based on other companies' videogames.
What Players Need to Know
'I don't see how they can recover at this point,' says Newzoo analyst News By Jody Macgregor Published 23 August 2026 Adding features to the storefront and making its launcher run more smoothly might be too little, too late. That technical overhaul will apparently be accompanied by changes to the storefront including personalized game recommendations, quick-access categories, and patch notes right there on the shop. 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. But whether most people play them or not, it's telling that a free giveaway can actually boost sales on Steam, as it did for Blood West, thanks to players not wanting to split their library.Latest Videos FromPC GamerWatch full video here: "The challenge I think Epic is facing is that they try to win everywhere in the past few years," Rosier says. 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." You may like Epic says the 'ground-up rebuild' of its launcher offers 5-6.5x improved performance, and the Epic Games Store is getting a big redesign Tim Sweeney on the future of games, AI, and whether Valve will ever join forces with Epic: 'It's now clear that nobody's going to end up with an absolute monopoly' Blizzard's former Battle.net lead is moving his expertise over to the Epic Games Store to 'elevate player, creator, and developer experiences' One shift in Fortnite has been a bigger push to incorporate cosmetics based on other companies' videogames.
Additional Context
Gaming Industry Can the Epic Games Store turn things around? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
You know, it's almost like collecting games rather than actually playing them."On a sample size of one I am the person who actually plays some of the free games I've been given by Epic over the years, and without that program I probably wouldn't have tried Guardians of the Galaxy, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Vampyr, Control, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, or Kardboard Kings. "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."Rosier is more positive about the outlook for Epic as a game developer than as a storefront.
"They probably need to focus on what really matters," he says, "which I think is Fortnite.
Why This Matters
For players, the key question is whether this development changes availability, gameplay, platform support or the timing of a release. The source facts above are the basis for the report; AllStarGamer does not treat unconfirmed speculation as established information.
What to Watch Next
Further announcements may provide release dates, technical details, pricing, regional availability or patch information. Those later updates may change the picture, so the most recent official information should always take priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main point of this story?
Gaming Industry Can the Epic Games Store turn things around? 'I don't see how they can recover at this point,' says Newzoo analyst News By Jody Macgregor Published 23 August 2026 Adding features to the storefront and making its launcher run more smoothly might be too little, too late. When you purchase through links on…
Is every detail final?
Not necessarily. Gaming announcements and live-service updates can change after the first report.
Where did the information come from?
The factual basis is the original publication credited at the end of this article.