After hundreds of giveaways, the Epic Games Store can still deliver a few surprises with its weekly free games. Some weeks might see under-the-radar indies like Turnip Boy Robs a Bank given away through the Free Games program, while other drops have included GOTY winners like Deathloop. How does Epic decide on a game for the Free Games program? There are several factors at play, like aiming to highlight games which the public may have overlooked and helping a studio to raise its profile, Epic says.
“It’s multiple factors. We showcase big flagship titles for our tentpole moments–like the Mega Sale and the start/end of the Holiday Sale–that have broad appeal and get our entire audience excited,” Kyle Billings, director of strategy and business operations at the Epic Games Store, said to GameSpot. “We also showcase games that weren’t visible to a wide audience, or help studios find a new audience ahead of an upcoming release. Those titles might not have broad appeal, but the Free Games Program gives them another shot with players who might have missed them before.”
So far, Epic’s Free Games program has attracted a wide variety of publishers, and Billings added that participating in the giveaways has had a positive impact on the studios that took part. “Developers see the value of player discovery on the Epic Game Store: participating titles have seen a 40% lift in Steam CCU while free on the Epic Games Store, and 77% of them set all-time peak CCU records on PC in that window. There are valid reasons why a developer might choose not to participate in the Program, but for studios, participation usually comes down to timing and the lifecycle management for their games.”
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