Epic Games Store Finally Adds Game Gifting Feature

According to engadget, Epic Games Store has finally launched game gifting after years of users waiting for the basic feature. The new system lets you click a Gift button on store pages, enter the recipient’s Epic account, choose from pre-written messages, and select delivery dates. Epic will automatically refund your money if the person already owns the game or rejects the gift. However, free games, subscriptions, pre-purchase offers, and in-game currency can’t be gifted. This comes as Epic continues its aggressive strategy against competitors, including taking only 12% revenue share after developers earn their first $1,000,000 and regularly offering free games to attract users.

Better late than never

Here’s the thing: gifting has been a standard feature on Steam for over a decade. It’s honestly surprising it took Epic this long to implement what’s essentially table stakes for any digital storefront. But when you look at Epic’s priorities, it makes sense. They’ve been focused on the big picture stuff – challenging Apple’s App Store monopoly, undercutting Steam’s 30% revenue cut, and building that massive user base through free game giveaways.

And let’s be real – those free games have been working. I know people who created Epic accounts specifically for the free titles. Now that they’ve got millions of users hooked, adding gifting feels like the logical next step to keep people spending money within their ecosystem.

business-strategy”>The business strategy

Epic’s playing the long game here. They’re not just building a store – they’re building an entire ecosystem to compete with Steam’s dominance. The 12% revenue share after that first million? That’s huge for developers. The free games? That’s the user acquisition cost. Now gifting? That’s the retention strategy.

Think about it. During holiday seasons, Steam sees massive gifting spikes. Epic was basically leaving money on the table by not having this feature. Now they can capture that seasonal spending too. It’s smart timing, really – roll out gifting right before the big holiday shopping period kicks into gear.

What’s still missing

Now, the implementation isn’t perfect. The pre-written messages feel a bit sterile – couldn’t they let us write our own? And the exclusion of in-game currency and pre-orders seems like missed opportunities. But the automatic refund feature is genuinely thoughtful. How many times have you accidentally bought a game someone already owned?

Basically, this is Epic catching up to where they should have been years ago. But better late than never, right? The real question is: what’s next? Shopping carts took forever too. Maybe we’ll see wishlist gifting or bundle gifting down the line. For now, at least you can finally send your friend that copy of Fortnite… wait, that’s free anyway.