Emmanuel Rosier, director of market intelligence at Newzoo, told PC Gamer that he doesn't see how the Epic Games Store can turn its fortunes around, saying "Steam has become so inevitable." His comments came even as Epic has spent much of the year promising an overhaul of its launcher, including a faster, redesigned storefront with personalized recommendations, quick-access categories, and patch notes built into the shop.
Rosier argued that Epic's free game giveaways don't build lasting engagement, saying players often log in just to claim the free games without playing them, comparing it to "collecting games rather than actually playing them." He pointed out that a giveaway can even end up boosting a game's sales on Steam instead, as players avoid splitting their library between launchers, citing Blood West as an example.
Rosier also said Epic has spread itself too thin by trying to compete simultaneously against Steam, Apple, and Google Play, adding that the company likely "ran out of steam" trying to fight all those battles at once.
In contrast to his pessimism about the storefront, Rosier was more optimistic about Epic as a game developer, especially regarding renewed focus on Fortnite. He highlighted the growing use of crossover cosmetics from other companies' games, noting Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man, Crash Bandicoot, and Mega Man appearing alongside Sora from Kingdom Hearts and Joker from Persona 5, calling it evidence that Epic isn't afraid of other games and suggesting it could serve as a marketing platform for other companies' game launches. He also pointed to additions like collectible "sprites" as giving players something new to do in Fortnite.
Following the interview's publication, Epic Games Store vice president and GM Martin Keely disputed Rosier's analysis, stating that in 2025 players spent a record 2.78 billion hours playing third-party games on the Epic Games Store and that player spending on third-party PC games grew 57% to an all-time record $400 million, adding that the improved launcher coming this year would accelerate that momentum. Newzoo itself also issued a disclaimer, saying Rosier's remarks about the Epic Games Store were not supported by Newzoo data or analysis, did not account for relevant public evidence, and should not be treated as a Newzoo market assessment.