Epic Games Store Announces Major 2026 Overhaul to Challenge Steam with User Reviews and Controller Support

Epic Games has revealed an ambitious 2026 roadmap to modernize its PC storefront, introducing features that have long been standard on rival Steam. Presented at Unreal Fest, the update includes user-written reviews, player profiles with avatars, universal controller support, and hardware spec benchmarking to help users determine game compatibility. The expansion also encompasses third-party community tools, patch notes, cross-region gifting, and publisher-funded coupons—features designed to address years of user criticism about the launcher's limited functionality and clunky experience.

The roadmap reflects Epic's commitment to improving both user experience and technical performance. A major focus involves rebuilding the launcher as a "V2" version that is not built on Unreal Engine, with the goal of reducing client load time by up to 5x. The company plans to enhance search functionality, implement personalized recommendations, streamline navigation, and improve library management through chunked installations for large games like Fortnite. These changes aim to create a more Steam-like discovery and user-engagement model that encourages community interaction.

Technical enhancements include universal controller support labels indicating compatibility with PlayStation, Xbox, and other controllers, alongside a "Will my rig play it?" feature that estimates PC performance at various graphical settings. The store will support pre-registration for free-to-play titles and introduce improved patch note systems for third-party games. While Epic Games Store has gained traction through years of free game offerings, this overhaul directly targets long-standing gaps in functionality compared to Steam, signaling the company's serious intent to compete for user mindshare in the competitive digital PC gaming marketplace.