Epic Game Store opens, promises free games throughout 2019
Epic Games launched the company's game store today; interested gamers can head over to the official Store front on the Epic Games website to browse what it has to offer and download the client to the local system.
The company announced the Store earlier this week as a direct competitor to Steam and other game stores available for PC.
It appears that the Store is only available for Windows for now; the download link offers a Windows version when you click on it.
Installation requires elevation but holds no surprises. An update is downloaded on first start to bring the Store to the latest version.
You can play around with the Epic Store application without account; just click on sign-in later to browse what the Store has to offer without signing in.
An account is required, however, for most activity including buying games, adding free games to the account, or playing games.
Account creation is straightforward. The Store supports email and password accounts, and accounts from the Playstation Network, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Facebook, and Google at the time of writing.
Users who have an Epic Games account already, e.g. because of Fortnite, can use it to sign-in to the Store.
Promotion
Epic Games announced that it will give away a free game every two weeks in 2019; means, anyone who installs the Epic Games Store on their device may grab these games free of charge and add them to their account.
The promotion starts on December 14, 2018 with Subnautica and is followed on December 28, 2018 by Super Meat Boy. The two games are fairly popular and have been well received.
The Store
The Store itself holds just a few games right now. You can grab a free copy of Unreal Tournament or Fortnite to start playing those games by Epic Games right away. Only five additional games are available for purchase right now with more being listed as "coming soon".
The Store has its own Mod Editors section that users can download to their devices, and a section for Unreal Engine which users can install as well.
Lots of basic features are missing right now; Search is missing, and there are not categories or tags to browse games of interest. Game pages lack information about recent updates, supported game modes, or hardware other than minimum and recommended PC requirements.
A friends system is supported, however.
Closing Words
I'd consider the Store beta for now as it lacks many features that most gamers expect from a games store. Still, free games is always attractive and it will certainly increase sign-ups for the Store when the promotion starts.
Epic Games has enough pull thanks to Fortnite being the game right now.
Now You: Will you install the Epic Games Store on your devices?
I’ve had Subnautica since 2016, and still play it now and then, so I’m passing for this moment. If they have some great game come along for free I might install the client then.
I really loathe even launching UPlay or Origin, though, and I know unless this game is beyond amazing, I’ll just avoid launching the client. Both of the other major not-Steams just love to forget my login, so I have to look them up and log in again. It’s not a huge chore, just irritating. So I avoid using them at all (and games that depend on them), which only seems to make it more likely to happen heh. Blech. The obligatory client update only adds to the wait and hassle.
I get that companies don’t want to part with unnecessary profit and feed Gaben’s juggernaut, I do. But as a consumer I just find these other clients annoying.
I signed up just because of Subnautica. The latter is going to be the first in the giveaways. Also, the next game from the makers of Bastion and Transistor, Hades is going to be on Epic. Looking forward.
The blue “Get Epic Games” is the download link, 31.9MB Installer
Thanks!
There’s no download button? I want to know big the client is
As someone who has used only Linux or Android for the past decade, I’ll wait to see if Epic adds support…but I’m not holding my breath.
Hmm, thank you epic, but I will have to pass. I have about 150 games on Steam and I won’t add a new store to my “collection”. All of them are linux compatible or playable or semi-playable for now with steam play. I am not on linux yet, but I made sure to be ready for the future, because I intend to switch. I wouldn’t call myself a “gamer” so I don’t care if I can’t play a specific game on a new store.
“found the graphics and storylines quite boring up to now”
Beautiful thing is… you’ve got a TON on great games to catch up on since… Loadrunner. Wow.
Nice one Martin, Thanks for mentioning, reporting and education me about this website.
Like I stated on numerous occasions on ghacks.net up to now only Loderunner (from around 1983) rouse main enthusiasm for not even 150 succeeding levels and that was it for me personly, game wise concerning. I always found the graphics and storylines quite boring up to now.
But this for me personly new Epic game Subnautica looks quite promising from all angles for me.
And Subnautitca sparks main interest in such a way that I will even look further.
Should even Jules Verne like this game? I think there is a good chance of that.