If you’re a PC gamer, you may be aware of one of Epic Game Store’s biggest selling (not selling?) points – it’s weekly free games. Although these certainly help drive people towards the platform, the CEO of New Blood Interactive, Dave Oshry, reveals that the initiative actually seems to do more good for rival platform Steam, acting as free advertisement and driving up sales while the game is discounted on Steam. Memes like this one may help demonstrate the point.

At the time of writing, there are two free PC games on Epic Games Store (EGS), and the next one has already been revealed to be ‘Rustler – Grand Theft Horse’. That’s probably not a title you’re too familiar with, but there have been some blockbuster games available for free on the site before, including Hogwarts Legacy last month.

Steam benefits from Epic Games Store’s free games

Another good example at the moment is Styx: Master of Shadows, which is currently free on Epic, but is also 90% off on Steam right now. It’s no secret that many people continue to favor Steam over EGS, and it’s easy to imagine why they wouldn’t mind spending a few dollars rather than just picking it up for free on Epic. Even the CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, has called the Epic Games Launcher “clunky” in the past.

Sweeney has shared his thoughts on the apparent spike in Steam sales while these games enjoy free advertising on his platform. He says “gamers and developers win” by having more options, and while it seems Steam is reaping the biggest benefits, it does keep people returning to the Epic store for free games.

“Epic and Steam compete for each customer and each sale. On some transactions, Epic wins. On more, Steam wins. But one thing is constant on every transaction: gamers and developers win by having more options and better deals.”

Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO, via X

He calls it “a feature of Epic Game Store’s free games” that doesn’t just benefit Steam, but raises awareness across all platforms, including iOS and Android – EGS also offers free mobile games as part of its free games initiative.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.