If you’re a gamer you know that the video game industry is a place of constant competition and rapid innovation. One of the companies that has emerged as a leading figure in revolutionary gaming, innovation - and also giving away games completely for free is Epic Games.
In this article I’ll dive into the most relevant Epic Games statistics to get a glimpse of its market influence, strategic growth, and what it means to be one of the companies that are reshaping the gaming world.
What Is Epic Games Revenue?
According to Statista, Epic Games’ revenue surpassed 5.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This revenue includes game revenue from their hit battle royale game Fortnite, engine revenue derived from game licenses and royalties, as well as Unreal Engine assets. Other income streams of the company include Epic Games Store revenue, and merchandise and other revenue.
Epic Games Player Count Keeps Growing
The Epic Games Store, a digital video game storefront, is steadily growing in popularity and reach in the gaming community. According to their 2022 annual review, the number of Epic Games PC users grew by 36 million people from 2021, reaching over 230 million users, an increase of 36M from 2021. This makes a total of 723M Epic cross-platform accounts.
Daily Active Users Reached 34.3 Million
The Daily Active Users peaked at 34.3 million people and Monthly Active Users reached 68 million, surpassing 2021’s 62 million.These Epic Games player statistics highlight the store’s competitive position in the market, driven by a mix of exclusive titles, free game offerings, and developer-friendly revenue share policies.
How Many Games are Available in the Epic Games Store?
As of 2022, publishers and developers had brought 626 new PC titles to the store, bringing the total count up to 1,548. That was more than any previous year and represented a significant increase over the 917 games they had available to players in 2021, according to their annual review from that year.
Is the Epic Games Store profitable?
According to the latest bundle of documents related to the Epic Games and Apple lawsuit, data related to the projected revenues for the Epic Games Store revealed that the Store is set to be unprofitable until 2025, despite being projected to reach $4.362 billion in revenue between 2019 and 2027.
Ever since its launch in December 2018, according to a coverage by Game World Observer, Epic Games Store is still running at a huge loss for the company and, as revealed by court documents on its lawsuit against Google, it’s projected that the store’s combined loss would reach $965 million by 2027.
How Much Do Players Spend With Epic Games?
With official 2023 data still pending to be released later this year, the 2022 annual review revealed that players spent a total of $820 million, 2% less than in its previous year which totalled $836 million. Out of the $820 million, $335 million were spent on third-party games listed on the Epic Games Store, making it 18% more than in 2021.
The Free Games Program Is Stronger Than Ever
The Free Games Program keeps showing its strength and the data from late 2022 showed that its success is undeniable. The Program is a promotional activity where they offer a selection of free games for a limited time. Typically, each week, one or more games are made available for free to all users of the platform. Once claimed, these games remain in the user’s library indefinitely.
In 2022, many developers and publishers partnered with Epic Games to bring users 99 free games worth $2,240 USD. Of those, 70 of the games offered in the free games program broke their peak user records on PC, with an average increase of 25 times their all-time records. That year, nearly 700 million free games in total were claimed by players, bringing those titles to new and expanded audiences.
What Are The Most Popular Games in The Epic Games Store?
According to the same annual report from Epic Games, these were the titles that made the Top 20 by player spend and engagement. Please note that they’re typically divided into three categories: Epic, Legendary, and Mythic.
The top 5 most popular games in the Epic Games Store in 2022, situated in the Mythic category were:
1. Genshin Impact
2. Rocket League
3. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. Fortnite (let’s pretend we’re surprised)
In the Legendary tier we had:
6. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
7. Red Dead Redemption II
8. Fall Guys
9. Sifu
10. Saints Row
And finally, in the Epic category - being the lowest of the top 20 - we had:
11. Valorant
12. Borderlands 3
13. Cyberpunk 2077
14. Evil Dead The Game
15. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
16. Dying Light 2 Stay Human
17. FIFA 2023
18. Far Cry 6
19. Dead by Daylight
20. God of War
Fortnite Revenue in 2023
Fortnite continued its financial success with an estimated revenue of around $5 and $5.5 billion in 2023, demonstrating the game’s ability to maintain a high revenue stream consistently over the years, a 33 Square report revealed.
Fortnite Has Accumulated $20 billion in Lifetime Revenue
According to information published in Fortnite’s co-creator and former director, Donald Mustard’s, new profile on AGBO’s website, Fortnite is a cultural phenomenon that currently boasts over 650 million players with over 20 billion dollars in revenue.
How Many People Play Fortnite?
According to that same profile description on Donald Mustard, Fortnite has a total of 650 million players, with more than 250 million average monthly, and 25 million average daily users.
Fortnite’s Players Count Keeps Breaking Records
An article published by Dexerto revealed that following the release of Season OG, Fortnite instantly achieved 44.7 million players in just one day, shattering their previous record set by Travis Scott’s in-game event with 12.3 million users.
Season OG definitely exceeded Epic Games’ expectations, as the game also broke another record in November 2023, after it was reported they achieved over 100 million active players in just that month.
Fortnite Usage By Device
According to Newzoo, the majority of Fortnite players prefer to play on consoles, with 78% choosing this platform highlighting the game’s strong presence in the console gaming market.
Fortnite Players Demographics
According to Statista, a significant portion of Fortnite players, more than 60%, are aged between 18 to 24 years. The game has a predominantly male player base, with about 90% of players being male.
Most Popular Fortnite Concert
Fortnite is well-known for its high-profile live events, which often attract millions of viewers. These events, ranging from in-game concerts to season-ending spectacles, have been a significant part of the game’s appeal, and are one of the main reasons that Fortnite has managed to have such a cultural impact in today’s generation of gamers.
According to Stream Charts, the most popular event to this day was The ‘Astronomical’ event in collaboration with Travis Scott. The fact that it was done during the COVID-19 lockdown, the event was Fortnite’s most successful live concert in terms of viewership, congregating 27.7 unique players participating in-game, reaching 1.23M Peak Viewers on Twitch, and achieving 45.8 million views across the five events that comprised the Travis Scott experience.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the statistics surrounding Epic Games and Fortnite speak volumes about their profound impact on the gaming industry. Epic Games, with its flagship title Fortnite, has not only redefined what it means to be a successful video game but also shown how a game can transcend the boundaries of its medium to become a cultural phenomenon. The numbers reflect a trailblazing journey of innovation, community engagement, and financial success, setting new benchmarks for a new era of interactive entertainment where community, creativity, and commerce converge seamlessly. As we look towards the future, it’s evident that Epic Games’ influence will continue to shape the evolving landscape of digital entertainment.
