Epic Games
Epic Games lost the last of its founding products in November 2013, when a man named Paul Sweeney packed and mailed the final copy of a game called ZZT. He was the father of Tim Sweeney, who had started a small company in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. That company is now Epic Games, an American developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. It makes Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, and it has gone to court against some of the biggest technology companies in the world. How did a one-man software business grow into something that size? Why did its most celebrated designers walk out just as a huge investment arrived? And what pushed a game maker to take on Apple and Google over the share they take from every sale?
In 1991 Tim Sweeney was a mechanical engineering student living in a dorm at the University of Maryland. His personal computer, used for both work and play, sat at his parents' house in nearby Potomac. From there he started Potomac Computer Systems as a consulting business. He soon decided the upkeep would be too much work and scrapped the idea.
In January 1991 Sweeney revived the name to release a game he had finished, called ZZT. The game did far better than he expected. Players could easily reshape it, thanks to a custom programming language Sweeney had written for it, called ZZT-oop. The surprise success made him consider turning the company into a real games business. Orders came in through bulletin board systems, and by May 2009 the game had sold several thousand copies.
By early 1992 the field belonged to larger studios such as Apogee Software and id Software. Sweeney wanted a more serious name, so he combined "Epic" and "Mega" into Epic MegaGames. The name was meant to sound like a company on the scale of Apogee, even though he was the only employee.
He then went looking for a partner and found Mark Rein, who had quit id Software and moved to Toronto, Ontario. Rein worked remotely and handled sales, marketing and publishing deals. Sweeney credited that business development with driving much of the company's growth. Soon the company had 20 employees, a mix of programmers, artists, designers and composers. One of them was 17-year-old Cliff Bleszinski, who earned his place by sending Sweeney a game of his own called Dare to Dream. A year later the staff numbered over 30.
In 1996 the company produced Fire Fight, an isometric shooter built by the Polish studio Chaos Works and published by Electronic Arts. By 1997 Epic MegaGames had 50 people working for it around the world. In 1998 it released Unreal, a 3D first-person shooter made with Digital Extremes. That game would turn out to matter as much for its technology as for its gameplay.
In February 1999, Epic MegaGames announced a move to Cary, North Carolina, and a new name: simply Epic Games. Mark Rein explained the thinking: "Unreal was first created by developers who were scattered across the world, eventually, the team came together to finish the game and that's when the real magic started." Sweeney added that "Mega" was dropped because the company no longer wanted to pretend to be big, as it had when he worked alone. Unreal Tournament shipped to critical acclaim that same year.
The technology under those games had already become a business. Epic began licensing the core of Unreal to other developers in 1998. Unreal Engine was first built for Unreal and Unreal Tournament. It handles graphics rendering, sound processing and physics, and licensees can modify it to fit their own projects. In 2014 Guinness World Records named it the "most successful videogame engine".
In 2004 Epic launched a competition called Make Something Unreal, which rewarded developers who built mods with the engine. Tripwire Interactive collected US$80,000 in cash and computer hardware prizes across that first contest.
In March 2015 Epic made Unreal Engine 4 free for anyone to develop with, collecting 5% royalties on the games made with it. Epic also supports the Unreal marketplace, where creators sell assets to other developers.
Film crews found uses for it too. Since 2019 Epic has supported filmmakers who build virtual sets with the engine, for productions such as The Mandalorian. It is also backing the animated feature Gilgamesh, made with the studios Hook Up, DuermeVela and FilmSharks.
On the 13th of May 2020 Epic announced Unreal Engine 5, planned for release in early 2022. Alongside it came Epic Online Services, a free toolset drawn from Fortnite code. It covers matchmaking, friends lists, leaderboards and achievements, and it supports Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. Epic also waived Unreal license fees retroactively from the 1st of January 2020 for an initial amount of a game's revenue.
Honors followed. In June 2019 the British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave Epic a Special Award for its work on the engine. The Hollywood Professional Association gave it an Engineering Excellence Award. At the 2019 Game Developers Conference Epic also announced MegaGrants, funding for projects that would benefit Unreal Engine, whether or not they were games. One of the first major recipients, in July 2019, was the Blender Foundation, which used the money to improve and professionalize its 3D art tools.
Around 2006, software piracy was battering the personal computer games market. Single-player PC games had become hard to sell, and they had been central to Epic's business model. Sweeney called the pivot to console games the start of the third major version of the company, "Epic 3.0".
The first big result was Gears of War, released in 2006 for the Xbox 360. It was a commercial success. A year later Epic shipped Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and took a majority share in the studio People Can Fly. In 2008 Gears of War 2 sold over three million copies in its first month. That same year Epic bought Chair Entertainment of Utah, whose adventure game Shadow Complex launched in the summer of 2009. The game was inspired by the Metroid series.
On the 1st of September 2010, Epic released Epic Citadel, a tech demo showing Unreal Engine 3 running on Apple iOS. It also ran in Adobe Flash Player Stage3D and used HTML5 WebGL. An Android version followed on the 29th of January 2013. On the 9th of December 2010 came Infinity Blade, Epic's iOS game. Gears of War 3 arrived in 2011.
The series closed its Epic chapter with Gears of War: Judgement, a prequel made with People Can Fly and released in 2013. Epic had considered a fourth main game but estimated the budget would be very large. It also suggested a multiplayer-only Gears, with improved maps based on player feedback, in the spirit of Unreal Tournament. Microsoft rejected the idea. Epic took the refusal as proof of what it cost to be held to a publisher's business objectives, and it began steering the company in a new direction.
In June 2012, the Chinese company Tencent paid $330 million for approximately 48.4% of Epic's issued share capital. Counting stock and employee stock options, that equaled 40% of the whole company. Epic wanted experience with the games-as-a-service model, in which a game keeps earning money after launch. Tencent ran several such games, including Riot Games' League of Legends.
Sweeney explained the thinking: "There was an increasing realization that the old model wasn't working anymore and that the new model was looking increasingly like the way to go." Tencent gained the right to nominate directors to Epic's board. Sweeney said it otherwise had very little control over Epic's creative output. He called the deal the start of "Epic 4.0", a version of the company that could be more agile. At that point Epic had about 200 employees.
Several prominent people left within months. Cliff Bleszinski announced in October 2012 that he was leaving after 20 years, saying "It's time for a much-needed break". He later said he had grown "jaded" about the industry before Tencent became involved. He tried to renegotiate his contract and failed. He then stopped coming to work and spent his days at his beach house. Sweeney came down for a heart-to-heart and asked him for a firm decision. Bleszinski wrote his resignation letter the next day. He started Boss Key Productions in 2014.
President Mike Capps announced his retirement in December 2012. He cited the coming birth of a baby boy and his plan to be a stay-at-home dad. In March 2013 he also gave up his advisory role.
Rod Fergusson, a lead developer on Gears of War, had left in August 2012. He did not want to make free-to-play games. He wanted to keep building a "AAA, big-narrative, big-story, big-impact game". He briefly joined Irrational Games to help finish BioShock Infinite. While there he spoke with its owner, 2K, about continuing Gears of War, which led to talks among 2K, Epic and Microsoft. Microsoft acquired the rights to Gears of War on the 27th of January 2014. Fergusson moved to Black Tusk Studios, which was rebranded as The Coalition. Gears of War 4 came out in October 2016.
Adrian Chmielarz, founder of People Can Fly, had joined Epic earlier in 2012 when his studio was acquired. He and other former People Can Fly members felt that free-to-play games did not fit their vision, and they left in late 2012 to form The Astronauts. Lee Perry, a lead designer on both Unreal and Gears of War, thought Epic had grown too large to remain an eccentric developer. He feared more management would limit creative freedom. He and five other senior people left to form Bitmonster.
Tencent's stake later drew government attention. After a Department of Justice investigation, two Tencent board members stepped down. They also sat on the board of Riot Games, which the department viewed as a violation of the Sherman Act.
Fortnite was announced at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, and it took six years to reach players. Epic meant it to be a testbed for games as a service. Staff changes and a switch from Unreal Engine 3 to Unreal Engine 4 caused setbacks. In the meantime Epic launched the free-to-play arena game Paragon in 2016 and released its first virtual reality game, Robo Recall, for the Oculus Rift.
By July 2017 Fortnite was ready for public play, and Epic released it through paid early access. Then came PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, a battle royale hit from earlier that year. Epic built its own variant, Fortnite Battle Royale, and released it free to play in September 2017 on computers, consoles and mobile devices. It had over 125 million players by May 2018. Microtransactions, including a battle pass system, brought in enormous sums. Epic persuaded Sony to change its stance on cross-platform play, so players on any device could compete. By March 2019 Fortnite had drawn nearly 250 million players, and in February 2022 Epic said at least half a billion accounts had been created on its platform.
The windfall changed Epic's other businesses. In July 2018 it cut its take on Unreal Engine Marketplace assets from 30% to 12%. The Epic Games Store was announced on the 4th of December 2018 and launched a few days later during The Game Awards presentation. Steam takes 30%. Epic's store takes 12% and waives its 5% engine royalty on Unreal games sold there. To concentrate on Unreal and Fortnite, Epic ended support for Paragon and Unreal Tournament.
Epic also chased entertainment partners. In 2017 it was one of eleven companies chosen for the Disney Accelerator program. In May 2019 it hired Nate Nanzer, commissioner of the Overwatch League, from Blizzard Entertainment to lead its esports push. In 2020 it teamed with Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. to screen Inception, Batman Begins and The Prestige as "Movie Nite" on Fortnite's "Party Royale" island.
On the 7th of February 2024 Epic received a $1.5 billion investment from the Walt Disney Company, for a 9% stake pending regulatory approval. Disney planned to co-develop new games and an "entertainment universe" with Epic, and to bring its classic animated characters and Pixar characters to Fortnite.
The growth then reversed. In September 2023 Epic announced it was laying off 870 employees, saying spending needed to be reined in. The company still had over 4000 staff afterward. In March 2026 it announced layoffs of over 1,000 more, citing weaker engagement in Fortnite since 2025 and targeting savings of $500 million. Epic discontinued low-engagement modes, including Rocket Racing, Fortnite Ballistic and the Fortnite Festival Battle Stage. Bloomberg reported that Epic was working on an extraction shooter using Disney characters under the earlier funding deal.
On the 19th of July 2007, the Canadian studio Silicon Knights sued Epic, claiming it had failed to provide a working Unreal Engine 3 and had withheld vital improvements. Epic countersued in August 2007. It said Silicon Knights had copied Unreal Engine 3 code into its own engine.
On the 30th of May 2012, Epic won both the suit and its counterclaim, with an award of $4.45 million, later doubled by interest, fees and costs. Judge James C. Dever III said Silicon Knights had "deliberately and repeatedly copied thousands of lines of Epic Games' copyrighted code". He noted it even copied "non-functional, internal comments Epic Games' programmers had left for themselves". On the 7th of November 2012 the court ordered the studio to destroy derived code and unsold retail copies of games built on it, including Too Human and X-Men Destiny. Silicon Knights filed for bankruptcy on the 16th of May 2014.
On the 13th of August 2020, Epic updated Fortnite to cut the price of V-Bucks, its in-game currency, by 20% for players who paid Epic directly. Apple and Google took a 30% cut, so players buying through their stores did not get the discount. Within hours, both companies removed Fortnite. Epic filed antitrust lawsuits against both the same day, seeking injunctions instead of money. Sweeney had argued since 2017 that a cut of 8% should be enough to run a storefront profitably. The next day he said: "We all have rights, and we need to fight to defend our rights against whoever would deny them."
Apple threatened to terminate Epic's developer accounts, which would have stopped Epic from updating Unreal Engine for iOS and macOS. The court blocked that step but declined to restore Fortnite, saying "The current predicament appears of Epic's own making." In September 2020 Epic and thirteen other companies launched the Coalition for App Fairness.
On the 10th of September 2021 Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled for Apple on nine of ten counts, including the 30% cut and the ban on third-party marketplaces. She ruled against Apple on anti-steering, and the Ninth Circuit upheld her. In April 2025 she found Apple's compliance insufficient and barred it from taking fees from third-party stores. Epic brought the Epic Games Store back to iOS within a week.
Google countersued for breach of contract. A jury trial in November and December 2023 found for Epic on every claim, concluding that Google held a monopoly over the Android marketplace. In January 2025 Epic opened its store worldwide on Android and in Europe on iOS, after the Google verdict and the European Union's enforcement against Apple under the Digital Markets Act.
Epic also faced regulators. In December 2022 the Federal Trade Commission fined it $520 million over two Fortnite complaints. One said Epic collected children's personal data without parental consent, and the other said it tricked users into unwanted purchases. In December 2024 Epic agreed to pay $245 million over its use of dark patterns to push V-Bucks sales, with $72 million refunded to more than 600,000 users who had filed claims.
In 2008 Epic bought Chair Entertainment, but the spending spree that defined the company began with its Fortnite fortune. In October 2018 seven firms invested, including KKR, ICONIQ Capital and Kleiner Perkins, joining Tencent, Disney and Endeavor as minority shareholders. Epic had already bought the cloud gaming firm Cloudgine in January 2018. In October 2018 it bought Kamu, maker of the anti-cheat software Easy Anti-Cheat.
In January 2019 Epic acquired 3Lateral, known for photo-realistic digital humans, and Agog Labs, whose SkookumScript platform was folded into Unreal Engine scripting. In May 2019 it acquired Psyonix, developer of Rocket League. Psyonix had been founded a few miles from Epic's headquarters and had worked on Unreal Tournament. It later built the Fortnite racing mode Rocket Racing, added in December 2023. That month Epic also bought the architecture visualization tool Twinmotion from Abvent.
In June 2019 came Life on Air, makers of the social app Houseparty, which Epic shut down in October 2021. Quixel, the largest photogrammetry library, was bought in November 2019. Cubic Motion, a facial animation studio, followed in March 2020. Together with Quixel and 3Lateral, it underpinned MetaHuman Creator, which Epic unveiled in February 2021. The browser-based tool lets developers build realistic human characters from presets and export them for Unreal Engine.
In September 2020 Epic bought SuperAwesome, which builds child-safe services around games. In January 2021 it bought RAD Game Tools, whose middleware stays available outside Unreal. March 2021 brought the Tonic Games Group, maker of Fall Guys, and Capturing Reality, whose RealityCapture builds 3D models from photographs. ArtStation joined in April 2021 and Sketchfab in July 2021. Both cut their revenue take on sales to 12%. In October 2024 Epic merged its asset marketplaces, plus Sketchfab and ArtStation Marketplace, into one called Fab.
In November 2021 Epic bought the music game developer Harmonix. A Fortnite Festival mode mimicking Rock Band's note-matching arrived in December 2023. Epic bought the music platform Bandcamp in March 2022, then sold it to Songtradr in September 2023. That month it also spun off SuperAwesome into its own company.
Epic framed much of this as building a metaverse. In April 2022 Sony and Kirkbi, the parent company of Lego, each invested $1 billion, taking Kirkbi to 3% and Sony to 4.9%. Epic and Lego announced a child-friendly metaverse space.
Epic's physical plans were less settled. In January 2021 it bought Cary Towne Center, a mall due to close, as a new headquarters, with the conversion due by 2024. Nearly all of the mall was razed, except a section with a Belk department store. But on the 6th of December 2024, the Town of Cary revoked Epic's zoning application, calling it "inactive".
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Common questions
Who founded Epic Games and when?
Tim Sweeney founded Epic Games in 1991 as Potomac Computer Systems, originally in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. It became Epic MegaGames in early 1992 and Epic Games in 1999.
Where is Epic Games headquartered?
Epic Games is based in Cary, North Carolina. It announced the move there in February 1999 and dropped "Mega" from its name at the same time.
What is Epic Games best known for?
Epic Games is best known for Fortnite and Unreal Engine. It also made the Unreal series, Gears of War and Infinity Blade, and in 2014 Guinness World Records named Unreal Engine the "most successful videogame engine".
How much of Epic Games does Tencent own?
Tencent bought approximately 48.4% of Epic's then issued share capital in June 2012 for $330 million. That equaled 40% of the total company, counting stock and employee stock options. Tim Sweeney remains the controlling shareholder.
Why did Epic Games sue Apple and Google?
Epic sued both on the 13th of August 2020, after they removed Fortnite for offering a discounted way to buy V-Bucks outside their payment systems. Epic alleged antitrust violations over the 30% cut. A jury found for Epic against Google in December 2023.
What is the Epic Games Store revenue share?
The Epic Games Store takes 12% of revenue, compared with the 30% Steam takes. It also waives the 5% royalty for games built with Unreal Engine. It launched in December 2018.
How many employees did Epic Games lay off in 2023 and 2026?
Epic laid off 870 employees in September 2023 and over 1,000 more in March 2026. After the 2023 cuts it still had over 4000 staff. The 2026 layoffs followed weaker Fortnite engagement and aimed to save $500 million.
All sources
259 references cited across the entry
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- 3What is Epic Games now worth? And who owns the Cary company after its Disney deal?Brian Gordon — March 20, 2024
- 4Another Epic Games exec joins the ranks of Triangle billionaires, testimony revealsZachery Eanes — 2021-05-05
- 5How a 2012 Decision Helped 'Fortnite' Make Epic Games a Billion Dollar CompanyBrian Crecente — July 25, 2018
- 6Tencent's $330M Epic Games investment absorbed 40 percent of developer UpdatedBrian Crecente — March 21, 2013
- 7'Fortnite' Creator Sees Epic Games Becoming as Big as Facebook, GoogleBrian Crecente — March 29, 2019
- 9From The Past To The Future: Tim Sweeney TalksBenj Edwards — May 25, 2009
- 11Better with age: A history of Epic GamesChris Plante — October 1, 2012
- 12Epic Classics ships last copy of ZZTJenna Pitcher — November 21, 2013
- 13Epic MegaGames Newsletter – Spring 1992Tim Sweeney — 1992
- 14MagazineThe Grammar of FunTom Bissell — November 3, 2008
- 15Epic MegaGames Catalog – Winter & Spring 1993
- 16MagazineKicks Arson
- 17Epic MegaGames Author Info PackJanuary 9, 2017
- 18Classic Tools Retrospective: Tim Sweeney on the first version of the Unreal EditorDavid Lightbown — January 9, 2018
- 19Epic Sets up ShopFebruary 4, 1999
- 21NewsGame Theory; For Game Maker, There's Gold in the CodeJ. C. Herz — December 2, 1999
- 22MagazineHow the Reds Conquered UnrealLucas Graves — April 2006
- 23Intel and Epic Games Launch '$1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest'IGN Staff — April 3, 2008
- 24Gears of War 4 would have cost over $100M to make – and could have killed Epic GamesAllegra Frank — May 2, 2016
- 25Unreal Tournament 3 to blast in on November 23rdLisa Foster — November 7, 2007
- 26Epic believes People Can Fly, acquires majority stakeJared Rea — August 20, 2007
- 27Epic's 'Gears Of War 2' goes goldAndrew Laughlin — October 13, 2008
- 28Gears of War 2 sales hit 3 million markEllie Gibson — December 9, 2008
- 29Project Sword Becomes Infinity BladeLevi Buchanan — November 2, 2010
- 30Play With The Unreal Engine On Your iPhone With Epic CitadelMichael McWhertor — September 1, 2010
- 31Gears of War 3 Delayed to Fall 2011Jim Reilly — October 1, 2010
- 32Carbon Games formed by Fat Princess devsAlexander Sliwinski — July 5, 2011
- 33'Fortnite' revealed by Epic GamesMark Langshaw — December 11, 2011
- 34Epic Games China now YingPei Games, no longer part of Epic GamesChris Plante — 2012-03-07
- 35Big Huge Games members picked up for Epic BaltimoreAlexander Sliwinski — June 3, 2012
- 36Epic Baltimore now Impossible Studios, working on Infinity Blade: DungeonsAlexander Sliwinski — August 9, 2012
- 37Epic Games is closing Impossible Studios, Infinity Blade Dungeons on holdAlexa Ray Corriea — February 8, 2013
- 38Epic Games Closes Its Newest Studio, Impossible GamesColin Moriarty — February 8, 2013
- 39People Can Fly now known as Epic Games PolandSamit Sarkar — November 1, 2013
- 40Why has Fortnite taken so long?Jeremey Peel — June 8, 2017
- 41The four lives of Epic GamesBrian Crecente — May 5, 2016
- 42Chinese Internet company owns 40 percent of Epic GamesEddie Makuch — March 21, 2013
- 43'Gears of War' design director Cliff Bleszinski leaves Epic GamesMichael McWhertor — October 3, 2012
- 44Epic luminaries on why they leftBrian Crecente — May 5, 2016
- 45Epic Games president retiringEddie Makuch — December 4, 2012
- 46Former Epic Games president Mike Capps parts ways with studioMartin Gaston — March 8, 2013
- 47The fixer: Why Rod Fergusson returned to Gears of WarBrian Crecente — August 1, 2014
- 48Microsoft acquires Gears of War from Epic, hires series producer Rod FergussonMichael McWhertor — January 27, 2014
- 49Microsoft buys Gears of War franchise from Epic GamesKyle Orland — January 27, 2014
- 50Epic Games Reveals Free, Crowdsourced Unreal TournamentMitch Dyer — May 8, 2014
- 51New Unreal Tournament in development, and it'll be absolutely freeEddie Makuch — July 25, 2014
- 52Epic Games Teases New PC Shooter 'Paragon'Angela Moscaritolo — November 4, 2015
- 53Shadow Complex Remastered announced for PS4, Xbox One, and PCSal Romano — December 3, 2015
- 54Shadow Complex Gets Physical ReleaseChris Shive — August 9, 2016
- 55Born out of Bullet Train, Epic's first commercial VR game is Robo RecallAlex Wawro — October 6, 2016
- 56Robo Recall ReviewDan Stapleton — March 1, 2017
- 57Why Epic Games is giving away its game technologyJohn Gaudiosi — March 3, 2015
- 58People Can Fly returns, no longer owned by Epic GamesCharlie Hall — June 24, 2015
- 59Bulletstorm Remastered Edition Revealed, Release Date AnnouncedJonathon Dornbush — December 1, 2016
- 60News'Fortnite': Battle royale, concert venue and, maybe, the start of the metaverseTeddy Amenabar et al.
- 61Fortnite announces early access release, hands-on the unfinished gameCharlie Hall — June 8, 2017
- 62Why a Dead Space-Fortnite Crossover Seems UnlikelyCameron Swan — 2023-01-11
- 63Fortnite Mania Fuels Epic Growth to $8.5 BillionDevon Pendleton et al. — July 24, 2018
- 64Sony Is Finally Allowing Cross-Play On The PS4Luke Plunkett — September 26, 2018
- 65Epic Games has 250 million 'Fortnite' players and a lot of plansJessica Conditt — March 20, 2019
- 66MagazineFortnite is making so much money that Epic is giving Unreal Marketplace creators a big raiseAndy Chalk — July 12, 2018
- 67Epic Games is launching its own store, and taking a smaller cut than SteamAllegra Frank — December 4, 2018
- 68After Fortnite's Massive Success, Epic Shuts Down ParagonJason Schreier — January 26, 2018
- 69Amid Fortnite's Success, New Unreal Tournament Stops Development At Epic GamesEddie Makuch — December 4, 2018
- 70Disney Accelerator 2017 Includes Investments in aXiomatic and EPIC GamesPatrick Garren — July 12, 2017
- 71Improbable snubs Unity, partners with Epic for $25M "open engine" fundKyle Orland — January 10, 2019
- 72Epic Breaks Down the 'Fortnite' World Cup $100 Million Prize PoolEmily Gera — February 22, 2019
- 73Overwatch League commissioner Nanzer to join Epic GamesJacob Wolf — May 24, 2019
- 74Epic Games announces $100m MegaGrants program, launches free Online Services toolsJames Batchelor — March 20, 2019
- 75Epic awards $1.2 million to Blender Foundation through Epic MegaGrants programAlissa McAloon — July 15, 2019
- 76Epic Games to receive BAFTA Special Award for contribution to game developmentChris Kerr — May 14, 2019
- 77HPA Engineering Excellence Award: Epic Games – Unreal Engine 4Debra Kaufman — August 29, 2019
- 78Epic will publish games from Remedy, Playdead and Gen DesignAndy Robinson — March 26, 2020
- 79Epic signs Playdead, Remedy, and genDesign to new publishing labelChris Kerr — March 26, 2020
- 80Epic Announces New Publishing Partners, Including Nine Inch Nails Guitarist's StudioJoe Skrebels — October 20, 2021
- 81Epic Games announces Unreal Engine 5 with first PS5 footageRebekah Valentine — May 13, 2020
- 82Fortnite Maker Epic Games Nears Funding at $17 Billion ValueKatie Roof et al. — June 15, 2020
- 83'Fortnite' Will Livestream Christopher Nolan's 'Inception,' Two Other Movies for FreeTodd Spangler — 2020-06-24
- 84Fortnite developer Epic Games secures $1.78 billion in fundingChris Kerr — August 6, 2020
- 85'Fortnite' Maker Epic Games Announces $1.78 Billion Funding, Including $250 Million From SonyTodd Spangler — August 6, 2020
- 86Sony invests $250 million in Fortnite maker Epic GamesDean Takahashi — July 9, 2020
- 87Sony invests $250 million in Fortnite maker Epic GamesShannon Liao — July 9, 2020
- 88Sony Acquires Minority Stake in Epic for $250 MillionMatt Kim — July 10, 2020
- 89Epic Games announces new headquarters at site of Cary Towne CenterAaron Thomas — January 3, 2021
- 90Rezoning pulled for Epic Games' planned Cary Towne Center headquarters, future of site unknownShaun Gallagher — January 29, 2025
- 91Epic Games' new MetaHuman Creator will let devs everywhere build high fidelity humansChris Kerr — February 10, 2021
- 92Epic Games teams up with Cesium to bring 3D geospatial data to UnrealDean Takahashi — March 30, 2021
- 94Epic nets $1 billion in funding, including $200 million investment from SonyChris Kerr — April 13, 2021
- 95Epic mulls Fortnite movie as it launches entertainment divisionTom Phillips — October 11, 2021
- 97Epic's new RealityScan app can make 3D models from smartphone photosJay Peters — April 4, 2022
- 98Epic announces $2 billion in funding for its metaverse effortsAndrew Webster — April 11, 2022
- 99Epic Games secures $2bn from Sony and Lego to build gaming metaverseAnna Gross — April 11, 2022
- 100NewsEpic Games valued at about $32 bln in funding from Sony, Lego firmApril 11, 2022
- 101Lego and Epic Games announce new partnershipTom Phillips — April 7, 2022
- 103Epic Games launches Postparty, an app for sharing Fortnite clipsTaylor Hatmaker — 2023-02-09
- 104Epic's new clips app helps you easily share moments from Fortnite and Rocket LeagueJay Peters — 2023-02-09
- 106Postparty
- 109Epic Games brings Postparty mobile app for sharing Fortnite clips Technology News – India TVSaumya Nigam — 2023-02-10
- 110Epic Games just released an official Fortnite clips appNicholas James — 2023-02-11
- 111'Fortnite' Maker Epic Games Is Cutting About 16% of StaffJason Schreier — September 28, 2023
- 112Fall Guys developer hit hard by Epic Games layoffs, but studio to remain openTom Phillips — September 29, 2023
- 113MagazineEpic Games Lays Off Over 800 EmployeesMarcus Stewart — September 28, 2023
- 114Disney to take $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games, work with Fortnite maker on new contentSarah Whitten — 2024-02-07
- 115NewsDisney's Epic deal shows sharp cut in Fortnite maker's valuation -The InformationYuvraj Malik — 2024-02-08
- 116Doctor Doom Coming to 'Fortnite' as Disney and Epic Games Reveal Details of Gaming Collaboration PlansJennifer Maas — August 10, 2024
- 117NewsSAG-AFTRA Members Who Work on Video Games Go on Strike; A.I. Protections Remain the Sticking PointSAG AFTRA — July 26, 2024
- 118NewsHollywood's videogame performers to strike over AI, pay concernsDanielle Broadway — Reuters — July 25, 2024
- 119Epic launching unified Fab marketplace in mid-OctoberSeptember 17, 2024
- 120Epic launches combined Fab marketplace amid confusion and backlash from artists and developersJames Batchelor — October 22, 2024
- 122NewsEpic Games Lays Off Over 1,000 Employees, Citing Fortnite SlumpMichael Levensen — March 24, 2026
- 123NewsEpic Games to Lay Off 1,000 Staffers and Cut $500 Million in Costs Amid 'Fortnite' DownturnJennifer Maas — March 24, 2026
- 125NewsEpic Games Pins 'Fortnite' Comeback on Disney PartnershipCecilia D'Anastasio — April 10, 2026
- 126KitBash Acquires ArtStation and SketchfabEpic Games — August 10, 2026
- 127Epic Games Delays Disney Project, Asks Developers to Use More AIJason Schreier — October 12, 2026
- 128Epic Games Acquires Undertow Developer ChairBrandon Boyer — May 20, 2008
- 129Epic Snags Undertow Developer Chair Entertainment GroupLeigh Alexander — May 20, 2008
- 130How Shadow Complex Was Inspired By Super Metroid (And Never Looked Back)Michael McWhertor — July 28, 2009
- 131Epic Games Gets $1.25 Billion Investment From KKR, Six OthersBrian Crecente — October 26, 2018
- 132Fortnite's Epic Games Gets $1.25 Billion From New Investor GroupEben Novy-Williams et al. — October 26, 2018
- 133NewsFortnite Creator Epic Games Valued at Nearly $15 BillionSarah E. Needleman et al. — October 26, 2018
- 134Epic Games acquires cloud processing tech provider CloudgineChris Kerr — January 22, 2018
- 135Epic Games acquires game security and anti-cheat firm KamuJames Batchelor — October 8, 2018
- 136Epic Games Acquires Anti-Cheat Company KamuStefanie Fogel — October 8, 2018
- 137Epic Games acquires 3LateralJames Batchelor — January 23, 2019
- 138Epic Games buys scripting tool maker Agog Labs for Unreal Engine 4Dean Takahashi — January 23, 2019
- 139Epic Acquires Rocket League Developer PsyonixNathan Grayson — May 1, 2019
- 140Epic buys Rocket League developer Psyonix, will stop selling the game on SteamNick Statt — May 1, 2019
- 141Epic Games acquires TwinmotionHaydn Taylor — May 13, 2019
- 142Epic Games acquires Twinmotion viz tool for architects, then gives it awayGreg Corke — 2019-05-13
- 143Fortnite maker Epic Games buys video chat app HousepartyJacob Kastrenakes — June 12, 2019
- 144Epic is shutting down HousepartyJay Peters — September 9, 2021
- 145Quixel joins forces with Epic GamesNovember 12, 2019
- 146Epic Games acquires Quixel for world's largest bank of photogrammetry dataSam White — November 12, 2019
- 147Epic Games acquires facial animation tech studio Cubic MotionAlissa McAloon — March 12, 2020
- 148Epic Games acquires SuperAwesome to create a range of 'kid safe' servicesChris Kerr — September 25, 2020
- 149Epic's Superawesome lets Unreal devs set up free parental verification for child gamersDean Takahashi — September 30, 2021
- 150Epic has bought facial animation firm HyprsenseAlex Calvin — November 18, 2020
- 151Epic acquires RAD Game ToolsBryant Francis — January 7, 2021
- 152Epic Games is buying Fall Guys creator MediatonicNick Statt — March 2, 2021
- 154Epic Games acquires photogrammetry software developer Capturing RealityChris Kerr — March 9, 2021
- 155Epic acquires ArtStationBrendan Sinclair — April 30, 2021
- 156Epic Games buys 3D asset platform SketchfabKris Holt — July 21, 2021
- 157Epic Games acquires Rock Band maker HarmonixDean Takahashi — November 23, 2021
- 158Fortnite's Eminem concert teased the future of the gameAndrew Webster — December 2, 2023
- 159Epic Games has acquired Rock Band and Dance Central creator HarmonixTom Ivan — November 23, 2021
- 160Epic Games is acquiring music platform BandcampAdi Robertson — March 2, 2022
- 161NewsGaming Giant Behind Fortnite Buys Bandcamp, an Indie Music HavenBen Sisario — 2022-03-02
- 162Epic Games acquires Horizon Chase studio AQUIRISSal Romano — April 19, 2023
- 163MagazineEpic Games' Sale of Bandcamp Has Left the Artist-Friendly Music Platform in LimboCaitlin Harrington
- 164How Lucasfilm used Unreal Engine to make The MandalorianOwen Good — February 20, 2020
- 165'Fortnite' Creator Epic Games Makes Foray Into Movies With Animated Pic 'Gilgamesh'Andreas Wiseman — January 21, 2021
- 166Fortnite dev launches Epic Games Store that takes just 12% of revenueJeff Grubb — December 4, 2018
- 167Epic Games launching Steam competitor with 88% revenue share for devsChris Kerr — December 4, 2018
- 168Epic Plans To Launch Second Free Games Program, This Time For Mobile DevicesDarryn Bonthuys — October 2, 2024
- 169Epic Games Store will add monthly free games, 20 third-party titles to mobile appZoe Hannah — January 23, 2025
- 170Epic Online Services expanded with free anti-cheat and voice chat toolsChris Kerr — June 22, 2021
- 171Autodesk and Epic Games are joining forces to bring immersion to architecture toolsJess Weatherbed — 2022-09-29
- 172Epic Games' new MetaHuman Creator will let devs everywhere build high fidelity humansChris Kerr — February 10, 2021
- 173NewsEpic Games Announces Lore Open-Source Version Control SystemMichael Larabel — Phoronix
- 174NewsGit good with Epic Games' new open source VCS, LoreBrandon Vigliarolo — The Register
- 176Epic Games to establish new office in Australia and New ZealandEmma Kidwell — October 24, 2018
- 178Epic Games forms Shanghai-based outsourcing divisionMatt Martin — September 25, 2006
- 179Epic opens Berlin outpostBrendan Sinclair — April 12, 2016
- 180Epic expands European publishing operations with new Berlin officeChris Kerr — April 12, 2016
- 181Epic Games planning gala celebration to open Tokyo officeMike Schramm — April 12, 2010
- 182Epic Games Opens Japan OfficeGreg Tito — April 13, 2010
- 183Epic Games
- 184Epic Games opens Korean shopBrendan Sinclair — June 29, 2009
- 185Epic Games In South KoreaBrian Ashcraft — June 30, 2009
- 186NewsFortnite atterrit à MontréalKarim Benessaieh — November 3, 2018
- 187Epic launches publishing label with Remedy, Playdead and GenDesign onboardMathrew Handrahan — March 26, 2020
- 188Epic Seattle created for Unreal Engine 4 developmentMike Williams — September 6, 2012
- 189Epic Games to launch new Seattle studio, hiring engineers for Unreal Engine 4Jeremy Peel — September 6, 2012
- 190$1 Billion Lincoln Square Expansion in Bellevue is Almost Fully LeasedBrittan Jenkins — March 28, 2017
- 192Epic Games opens UK studioJames Batchelor — August 5, 2014
- 193MagazinePitbull Bytes: From humble beginningsDecember 6, 2013
- 194Computer games firm Epic takes offices in Newcastle city centreCoreena Ford — October 9, 2017
- 196Epic Games closes Impossible Studios, delays Infinity Blade: DungeonsMike Williams — February 8, 2013
- 197People Can Fly Turns Independent, Buys Bulletstorm IPTamoor Hussain — June 24, 2015
- 198Fat Princess Developers Form New Studio Following ClosureFrank Cifaldi — July 5, 2011
- 199Silicon Knights: Epic Sabotaged UsBrian Crecente — July 19, 2007
- 200Breaking: Silicon Knights Files Lawsuit Against EpicSimon Carless — July 19, 2007
- 201Mark Rein: Epic Games Did Nothing Wrong; Silicon Knights is StealingJames Brightman — August 9, 2007
- 202Epic Games countersues Silicon KnightsBrendan Sinclair — August 9, 2007
- 203Epic's Motion to Dismiss UE3 Case DeniedKris Graft — October 31, 2007
- 204Epic Says Epic Has Won Lawsuit Battle With Silicon Knights UPDATE: Epic Awarded $4.45 MillionStephen Totilo — May 30, 2012
- 205Epic judgment doubled, Silicon Knights ordered to pay over $9 millionStephany Nunneley — November 9, 2012
- 206Silicon Knights, Inc. v. Epic Games, Inc.D. Sawyer — November 7, 2012
- 207Silicon Knights Inc.May 16, 2014
- 208Steam could be profitable with an 8% cut rather than 30%, says Tim SweeneyRichard-Scott Jones — August 23, 2017
- 209Fortnite for Android will ditch Google Play Store for Epic's websiteNick Statt — August 3, 2018
- 210Epic gives in to Google and releases Fortnite on the Play StoreNick Statt — April 21, 2020
- 211Fortnite is coming to Android this summerNick Statt — May 18, 2018
- 212Fortnite launches new payment system to cut Apple, Google outKate Cox — August 13, 2020
- 213Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App StoreNick Statt — August 13, 2020
- 214Fortnite for Android has also been kicked off the Google Play StoreDieter Bohn — August 13, 2020
- 215Fortnite Creator Sues Apple and Google After Ban From App StoresJack Nicas et al. — August 13, 2020
- 216Epic Games is suing AppleNick Statt — August 14, 2020
- 217Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says Apple fight is about 'basic freedoms of all consumers and developers'Nick Statt — August 14, 2020
- 218Apple terminating Epic developer accounts, tools accessRebekah Valentine — August 17, 2020
- 219Apple threatens to cut off Epic Games from iOS, Mac dev toolsMichael McWhertor — August 17, 2020
- 220Epic judge will protect Unreal Engine — but not FortniteRussell Brandom et al. — August 24, 2020
- 221Epic, Spotify, and others take on Apple with "Coalition for App Fairness"Ron Amadeo — 2020-09-24
- 222Epic Games wins injunction favoring alternative payments in antitrust lawsuit against AppleDean Takahashi — 2021-09-10
- 223Judge Orders Apple to Ease Restrictions on App DevelopersJack Nicas et al. — September 10, 2021
- 224Apple can no longer force developers to use in-app purchasing, judge rules in Epic Games caseKif Leswing — September 10, 2021
- 225A comprehensive breakdown of the Epic v. Apple rulingSeptember 12, 2021
- 226U.S. Supreme Court snubs Epic Games legal battle with AppleAndrew Chung — Jan 16, 2024
- 227A judge just blew up Apple's control of the App StoreJay Peters — April 30, 2025
- 228NewsCourt finds Apple, executive lied under oath in Epic Games trialKif Leswing — April 30, 2025
- 229Google Allows More App Payment Options in Antitrust Deal With StatesNico Grant et al. — December 18, 2023
- 230Tinder owner Match Group settles antitrust claims against Google's app storeBrian Fung — November 1, 2023
- 231Google Loses Antitrust Court Battle With Makers of Fortnite Video GameNico Grant — December 11, 2023
- 233'Fortnite' maker Epic Games to pay $520 million in record-breaking FTC settlement CNN BusinessBrian Fung — 2022-12-19
- 234Epic Games, Maker of 'Fortnite,' to Pay $520 Million to Resolve FTC AllegationsSarah E. Needleman et al. — 2022-12-19
- 235Fortnite maker Epic Games to pay $520 million in fines in FTC settlementRohan Goswami — December 19, 2022
- 236Epic Games warns developers to "rethink" after Fortnite settlementEd Smith — December 19, 2022
- 237NewsFortnite and other Epic Games customers are about to get a $72 million refund. Here's why.Megan Cerullo — December 9, 2024
- 238"The Epic Games Store is Spyware:" How a Toxic Accusation Was Started by Anti-Chinese SentimentMatt Kim — April 4, 2019
- 239The fury over the Epic Games Store, explainedCharlie Hall — April 5, 2019
- 240NewsHouseparty offers $1m reward for proof of sabotageMarch 31, 2020
- 241Has Houseparty Been Sabotaged? $1 Million Reward Offered As Hacking Claims Go ViralDavey Winder — March 31, 2020
- 242NewsLots of people are saying you should delete Houseparty right now. But should you?Andrew Griffin — March 31, 2020
- 243Disney, Epic Games Using AI to Bring James Earl Jones' Darth Vader Voice to 'Fortnite'Alex Weprin — 2025-05-16
- 245James Earl Jones Steps Back From Voicing Darth Vader, Signs Off on Using Archived Recordings to Recreate Voice With A.I.BreAnna Bell — September 24, 2022
- 246Who Is Voicing Darth Vader In Obi-Wan Kenobi? It's ComplicatedLyvie Scott — June 1, 2022
- 247The makers of 'Alien: Romulus' defend their AI-resurrected Ian Holm: 'We did it all with a lot of respect'Carlos Aguilar — 19 August 2024
- 248Alien: Romulus – Why people are so upset about its surprise cameoNicholas Barber — 20 August 2024
- 250Fortnite players are abusing AI Darth Vader, forcing him to say 'Skibidi Toilet' and worseMichael McWhertor — 2025-05-16
- 251SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over Darth Vader AI Voice in 'Fortnite'Katie Kilkenny — 2025-05-19
- 252Blinded By Reality: The True Story Behind the Creation of UnrealGeoffrey Keighley
- 253Everything You Wanted to Know About UnrealCésar A. Berardini — June 30, 2005
- 254The Epic traditionWill Porter — October 26, 2007
- 255Epic's RainmakersJoe Blancato — May 13, 2008
- 256The Quiet Tinkerer Who Makes Games Beautiful Finally Gets His DueStephen Totilo — December 7, 2011
- 258Development Legends: An Unreal taleWill Freeman — August 12, 2013
- 259Their future is Epic: The evolution of a gaming giantBrian Crecente — May 1, 2016
- 260'Fortnite' launched battle royale a year ago today – here's how the company behind the billion-dollar game was founded by a college kidTom Jr. Huddleston — August 9, 2018
- 261To Fight Apple and Google's Grip, Fortnite Creator Mounts a CrusadeErin Griffith — August 25, 2020