Interview with Epic Games Store Boss: Mobile Challenges and Future Blueprint – A Conversation with Steve Allison

At GDC 2026, Steve Allison, head of the Epic Games Store, sat down with multiple media outlets to candidly share the performance of Epic’s game store on mobile, key annual data, and future strategic plans. Despite significant challenges, he remains firmly committed to breaking the Apple and Google duopoly.

Mobile: A Difficult Start, But the Ecosystem is Beginning to Shift

Allison revealed that the Epic Games Store on mobile currently has nearly 30 million total installs, falling short of the 100 million target set for the end of 2024. Developers still have considerable trepidation about committing to third-party app stores, and the messy rules and “scare screens” continue to hinder user conversion—especially on iOS.

However, positive signs are emerging. As regulations advance around the world, the churn caused by these “scare screens” is decreasing, most notably on Android, but on iOS as well. Currently, Epic’s iOS store hosts around 60 games, while the Android platform has close to 200 (the Android version is available globally). In August, Epic plans to open self-publishing on mobile, which is expected to further boost game numbers.

2025 Report Card: Record Third-Party Revenue, User Scale Reaches New Highs

Despite mobile performance falling short of expectations, the Epic Games Store on PC has remained solid. Allison disclosed the following key data points:

Average Monthly Active Users: 67 million (Allison estimates this to be about half of Steam’s count)

December Monthly Active Users: 78 million (an all-time high)

Third-Party Game Revenue: $400 million (up 57% year-over-year)

User Conversion Rate: On average, 16% of users who claim free games eventually make a purchase on the store

Revenue Comparison: Epic player spending is approximately 10% of Steam’s; Allison admits, “we’ve got to work on conversion.”

Additionally, the 2025 Epic free games program offered 100 titles, with 662 million total claims. Over 77% of the games set all-time concurrent user records on the Epic Games Store during their free weeks, and also drove an average 40% increase in concurrent users on Steam.

Future Blueprint: Technical Rebuild, Deeper Social Features, Platform Expansion

Looking ahead to 2026, Allison outlined a clear roadmap:

Technical Overhaul: Planned for May or June, a “guts-level” reconstruction of the store launcher aims to eliminate the current two-second refresh lag, reduce system resource consumption, and improve overall responsiveness.

Enhanced Social Features: The roadmap includes introducing forums, optimizing cross-platform text chat, adding avatars, profiles, private messaging, and planning to add voice chat and cross-game party features in Q2.

Cross-Platform Experience: Committed to achieving seamless switching between PC and mobile, with a cross-platform game library targeted for this fall.

Mobile Expansion: The iOS store is set to launch in Japan (March) and Brazil (June); third-party APIs will be opened to mobile partners this summer, along with upgraded self-publishing tools.

Handhelds and Consoles: Allison confirmed they are developing dedicated apps for Windows handhelds like the ROG Ally. Regarding the next-generation Xbox console, he stated clearly: “As long as Microsoft’s policy doesn’t change, we plan to be there, day one, on the new hardware.”

Conclusion: Creating a Fairer Stage for Developers

Regarding the recent global settlement with Google, Allison described it as a “meaningful reset” for the mobile market. While the revenue share didn’t reach Epic’s ideal 12% line, he noted, “Reducing the cut from 30% to 20%, removing scare screens, opening up payment competition – these are the core battle victories.” He concluded that Epic’s mission has always been to build a fairer, more open transaction platform for players and developers, and this battle is far from over.