History of Epic Games in Timeline

Epic Games, founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991 and later becoming Epic MegaGames, is an American video game and software developer and publisher. Based in Cary, North Carolina, it's known for creating the game ZZT and is led by Sweeney and VP Mark Rein. The company rebranded to Epic Games after moving its headquarters in 1999.

January 1991: ZZT Game Released

In January 1991, Tim Sweeney released his game ZZT under the Potomac Computer Systems name. The game's success led Sweeney to consider turning the company into a video game company.

1991: Potomac Computer Systems Founded

In 1991, Tim Sweeney founded Potomac Computer Systems as a computer consulting business while studying at the University of Maryland. The business idea was later scrapped.

1992: Epic MegaGames' Early Days

In 1992, Sweeney renamed Potomac Computer Systems to Epic MegaGames and sought a business partner, eventually finding Mark Rein. The company grew to 20 employees, including Cliff Bleszinski.

1996: Fire Fight Released

In 1996, Epic MegaGames produced Fire Fight, a shareware isometric shooter developed by Chaos Works and published by Electronic Arts.

1997: Epic MegaGames Growth

By 1997, Epic MegaGames had 50 employees working for them worldwide.

1998: Unreal Released and Unreal Engine Licensed

In 1998, Epic MegaGames released Unreal, a 3D first-person shooter co-developed with Digital Extremes, and began licensing the Unreal Engine to other game developers.

February 1999: Epic MegaGames Moved to North Carolina and Renamed

In February 1999, Epic MegaGames announced their move to Cary, North Carolina, and their rebranding to Epic Games. The "Mega" part of the name was dropped as the company no longer wanted to pretend to be a big company.

1999: Headquarters Moved to Cary and Name Change

In 1999, Epic MegaGames moved its headquarters to Cary, North Carolina, and changed its name to Epic Games. This move was to centralize the company's developers and to drop the pretense of being a large company.

2004: Make Something Unreal Competition Launched

In 2004, Epic Games launched the Make Something Unreal competition, rewarding video game developers who create mods using the Unreal game engine. Tripwire Interactive won US$80,000 in cash and computer hardware prizes over the course of the first contest in 2004.

2006: Shift to Console Development and Gears of War Release

Around 2006, Epic Games shifted its focus to console development due to software piracy issues in the PC market. In 2006, Epic released Gears of War for Xbox 360, which became a commercial success.

July 19, 2007: Silicon Knights Sues Epic Games

On July 19, 2007, Silicon Knights sued Epic Games, claiming failure to provide a working game engine which caused them considerable losses. The lawsuit alleged Epic Games was sabotaging Unreal Engine 3 licensees, withholding improvements and using licensing fees for its own titles.

August 2007: Epic Games Counter-Sues Silicon Knights

In August 2007, Epic Games counter-sued Silicon Knights, alleging that the studio was aware that Unreal Engine 3 features were still in development when they signed the agreement. Epic also claimed unauthorized use of licensed technology and violation of intellectual property rights by Silicon Knights.

2008: Gears of War 2 Released

In 2008, Epic Games released Gears of War 2, which sold over three million copies within the first month of its release.

May 2009: ZZT Sales Update

As of May 2009, ZZT had sold several thousand copies. Sweeney's father, Paul Sweeney, was still fulfilling orders from the former Potomac Computer Systems address.

September 1, 2010: Epic Citadel Released

On September 1, 2010, Epic Games released Epic Citadel as a tech demo to showcase the Unreal Engine 3 on Apple iOS.

December 9, 2010: Infinity Blade Released

On December 9, 2010, Epic Games released Infinity Blade, an iOS game.

2011: Titan Studios Dissolved and Fortnite Announced

In 2011, Epic Games dissolved its subsidiary Titan Studios and announced the game Fortnite at the Spike Video Game Awards.

2011: Gears of War 3 Released

In 2011, Epic Games released Gears of War 3, the third game in the series.

March 2012: Epic Games China Became Independent

In March 2012, Epic Games China became independent as Ying Pei Games, while Epic retained a minority stake.

May 30, 2012: Epic Games Wins Counter-Suit Against Silicon Knights

On May 30, 2012, Epic Games defeated Silicon Knights' lawsuit and won its counter-suit for $4.45 million on grounds of copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract. The judge stated that Silicon Knights had deliberately copied Epic Games' copyrighted code.

June 2012: Epic Baltimore Studio Opened

In June 2012, Epic Games announced the opening of Epic Baltimore, consisting of members from 38 Studios' Big Huge Games.

June 2012: Tencent Investment

In June 2012, Tencent acquired approximately 48.4% of Epic then issued share capital, equating to 40% of total Epic, for $330 million. This agreement was intended to help Epic Games gain experience with the games-as-a-service model.

August 2012: Epic Baltimore Renamed to Impossible Studios

In August 2012, Epic Baltimore was renamed to Impossible Studios.

August 2012: Epic Games Acquired People Can Fly

In August 2012, Epic Games fully acquired People Can Fly.

November 7, 2012: Silicon Knights Ordered to Destroy Game Code

On November 7, 2012, Silicon Knights was directed by the court to destroy all game code derived from Unreal Engine 3 and to recall/destroy unsold copies of games built with the engine, including Too Human, X-Men Destiny, and unreleased titles.

2012: Tencent Acquired Stake in Epic

In 2012, Tencent acquired a 48.4% outstanding stake (40% of total Epic) in Epic Games as part of an agreement to move Epic towards a games as a service model.

January 29, 2013: Epic Citadel Released on Android

On January 29, 2013, Epic Games released Epic Citadel for Android devices.

February 2013: Impossible Studios Closed

In February 2013, Impossible Studios closed its doors.

November 2013: People Can Fly Rebranded as Epic Games Poland

In November 2013, People Can Fly was rebranded as Epic Games Poland as they began work on Fortnite alongside Epic.

November 2013: Final ZZT Copy Shipped

In November 2013, the final copy of ZZT was shipped by Paul Sweeney, marking the end of the game's distribution.

May 16, 2014: Silicon Knights Files for Bankruptcy

On May 16, 2014, Silicon Knights filed for bankruptcy.

2014: Unreal Tournament Announced

In 2014, Epic Games announced the free-to-play and community-developed Unreal Tournament.

2014: Unreal Engine Recognized

In 2014, the Unreal Engine was recognized by Guinness World Records as the "most successful videogame engine".

March 2015: Unreal Engine 4 Relicensed

In March 2015, Epic Games relicensed the Unreal Engine 4 engine to be free for all users, with Epic taking 5% royalties on games developed with the engine.

June 2015: Epic Games Poland's Departure

In June 2015, Epic Games agreed to allow Epic Games Poland's departure from the company and sold its shares in the studio. The studio reverted to its former name, People Can Fly.

2015: Releases and Projects

In 2015, Epic Games released a remastered version of Shadow Complex for newer consoles and computers, and their first venture into virtual reality with Robo Recall for the Oculus Rift.

2016: Paragon Launched

In 2016, Epic Games launched the free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game Paragon for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.

April 7, 2017: Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition Launched

On April 7, 2017, People Can Fly launched a remastered version of Bulletstorm called Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, published by Gearbox Software.

July 2017: Fortnite Early Access

In July 2017, Epic Games launched Fortnite through a paid early access.

September 2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Released

In September 2017, Epic Games released Fortnite Battle Royale as a free-to-play title across computer, console, and mobile platforms.

2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Released

Following the release of the popular Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017, Epic Games gained additional investments, which enabled the company to expand its Unreal Engine offerings, establish esports events around Fortnite, and launch the Epic Games Store.

2017: Tim Sweeney Questions Digital Storefront Revenue Cuts

Since as early as 2017, Tim Sweeney had questioned the need for digital storefronts like Valve's Steam, Apple's iOS App Store, and Google Play to take a 30% revenue sharing cut, arguing that 8% should be sufficient.

May 2018: Fortnite Player Base

By May 2018, Fortnite Battle Royale had amassed over 125 million players.

July 2018: Fortnite Revenue and Valuation

By July 2018, Fortnite Battle Royale had earned over $1 billion through microtransactions. Epic Games was estimated to be worth $4.5 billion.

December 4, 2018: Epic Games Store Announced

On December 4, 2018, Epic announced its Epic Games Store, an open digital storefront for games on Windows, which launched a few days later with The Game Awards 2018 presentation.

March 2019: Fortnite Player Count

As of March 2019, Fortnite had drawn nearly 250 million players.

May 2019: Epic Games Acquires Psyonix

In May 2019, Epic Games acquired Psyonix, the developer of Rocket League. Psyonix had a prior history with Epic Games, having contributed to Unreal Tournament and being located near Epic's headquarters.

May 2019: Epic Acquires Twinmotion

In May 2019, Epic acquired the Twinmotion visualization tool from Abvent, with plans to expand and integrate it into Unreal Engine offerings.

June 2019: Epic Acquires Life on Air, Developers of Houseparty

In June 2019, Epic acquired Life on Air, the developers of Houseparty, a social networking service. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

November 2019: Epic Acquires Quixel

In November 2019, Epic Games acquired Quixel, which is the world's largest photogrammetry asset library for 3D models. Epic planned to make Quixel's library available to Unreal Engine users while Quixel continued to expand its assets within Epic.

2019: Epic Supports Filmmakers using Unreal Engine

Since 2019, Epic has supported filmmakers using the Unreal Engine to create virtual sets for productions like The Mandalorian, and will be backing animated feature film production using Unreal, starting with Gilgamesh with studios Hook Up, DuermeVela and FilmSharks.

March 2020: Epic Acquires Cubic Motion

In March 2020, Epic acquired Cubic Motion, a studio specializing in detailed digital facial animations for film and video games.

March 2020: Accusations of Houseparty hacks surface

In late March 2020, accusations circulated on social media claiming that the Epic Games app Houseparty led to hacks of other services like Netflix and Spotify. Epic and Life on Air denied these claims and offered a $1 million bounty for proof.

May 2020: Epic Online Services Released

In May 2020, Epic Online Services, a free SDK based on Epic's Fortnite code that allows developers to implement cross-platform play features in their games, was released for all.

August 13, 2020: Epic Games Updates Fortnite with Direct Purchase Discount, Leading to Storefront Removal and Lawsuits

On August 13, 2020, Epic Games updated Fortnite to offer a 20% discount on "V-Bucks" for direct purchases. Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their stores for bypassing their payment systems, prompting Epic to file antitrust lawsuits against both companies.

August 28, 2020: Apple threatened to terminate Epic's developer accounts

On August 28, 2020, Apple responded to Epic's lawsuit by threatening to terminate Epic's developer accounts, which led Epic to file a motion for a preliminary injunction to force Apple to keep Fortnite on the App Store and prevent the developer account termination, as it would prevent Epic from updating Unreal Engine for iOS and macOS, and endanger Unreal-dependent developers.

September 2020: Epic Games launches Coalition for App Fairness

In September 2020, Epic Games, along with thirteen other companies, launched the Coalition for App Fairness, aimed at improving conditions for app inclusion in app stores.

September 2020: Epic Acquires SuperAwesome

In September 2020, Epic acquired SuperAwesome, a firm that has developed services to support children-safe games and services around games. Epic intended to incorporate these elements into its portfolio and offer them to other developers.

November 2020: Epic Acquires Hyprsense

In November 2020, Epic Games acquired the digital facial animation firm Hyprsense.

January 2021: Epic Acquires RAD Game Tools

In January 2021, Epic acquired RAD Game Tools, a company specializing in middleware solutions for video game development, which Epic planned to integrate into the Unreal Engine. RAD's tools would remain available for use outside of Unreal as well.

March 2021: Epic Acquires Capturing Reality

Also in March 2021, Epic acquired Capturing Reality, the developers of RealityCapture, a photogrammetry suite for creating 3D models from photographs. Epic planned to integrate RealityCapture into the Unreal Engine.

March 2021: Epic Acquires Tonic Games Group

In March 2021, Epic announced the acquisition of Tonic Games Group, including developers Mediatonic and Fortitude Games. Fall Guys, a successful game from 2020, would remain on Steam, and Epic would help bring it to other platforms.

April 2021: Epic Acquires ArtStation

In April 2021, Epic Games acquired ArtStation, a marketplace for professional artists. ArtStation members gained access to Epic's tools, including Unreal Engine, and the marketplace reduced its revenue cut to 12%.

June 2021: Epic Online Services Adds Anti-Cheat and Voice Chat Support

In June 2021, Epic Online Services added support for anti-cheat and voice chat.

July 2021: Epic Acquires Sketchfab

In July 2021, Epic acquired Sketchfab, a 3D model marketplace. Similar to ArtStation, the acquisition allowed Sketchfab to lower its revenue cut to 12% and make Sketchfab Plus membership free.

September 10, 2021: First ruling in Epic Games v. Apple

On September 10, 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in favor of Apple on most counts in Epic Games v. Apple, but issued an injunction against Apple's anti-steering provisions, allowing developers to link app users to other storefronts within apps. The ruling was later upheld.

September 2021: Apple was victorious in bench trial

In September 2021, Apple was ultimately victorious in a bench trial with Epic and upheld through appeals.

October 2021: Houseparty App Shuttered

In October 2021, Epic Games shut down the Houseparty app, though the development team continued to create social apps for Epic's platforms.

November 2021: Epic Games Acquires Harmonix

In November 2021, Epic Games acquired Harmonix, a music game developer. Harmonix continued supporting existing games while building Fortnite's musical experiences.

March 2022: Epic Acquires Bandcamp

In March 2022, Epic acquired the indie music platform Bandcamp. Bandcamp was set to operate independently under Epic, gaining the benefits of Epic's backend services.

April 2022: Equity Valuation

As of April 2022, Epic Games has a US$32 billion equity valuation.

September 2022: Epic and Autodesk Partner

In September 2022, Epic and Autodesk partnered, making Twinmotion available to Revit subscribers.

December 2022: Epic Games fined $520 million by FTC

In December 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined Epic Games $520 million for violating COPPA related to children's privacy in Fortnite and misleading users into making unwanted purchases.

April 2023: Epic Acquires Aquiris Game Studio

In April 2023, Epic acquired Brazilian developer Aquiris Game Studio, developer of Horizon Chase. The company was renamed Epic Games Brasil with the intention to be used in Fortnite.

September 2023: Epic Sells Bandcamp

In September 2023, Epic sold Bandcamp to music licensing company Songtradr.

December 2023: Rocket Racing Added to Fortnite

In December 2023, Psyonix, now part of Epic, developed an arcade-style car racing game named Rocket Racing within Fortnite.

December 2023: Fortnite Festival Mode Added

In December 2023, a Fortnite Festival mode was added, mimicking the gameplay of Rock Band.

December 2023: Jury finds Google maintained monopoly on Android marketplace

In December 2023, a jury found that Google maintained a monopoly on the Android marketplace through the Play Store management and leveraged its position to make deals with partners. This verdict came after similar lawsuits from other groups had settled.

December 2023: Jury trial finds Google's actions monopolistic

In December 2023, a jury trial found Google's actions to be monopolistic regarding app store practices, contrasting with Apple's victory in court.

January 2024: Second Phase of Google trial is scheduled to occur

In January 2024, the second phase of the trial to determine remedies against Google for monopolistic actions is scheduled to occur.

December 2024: Epic settles with FTC, agrees to pay $245 million

In December 2024, Epic Games settled with the FTC, agreeing to pay $245 million for using dark patterns to drive users to buy V-bucks in Fortnite. $72 million was issued as refunds to users.

January 2025: Epic Games Store Launched for Android and iOS in Europe

In January 2025, Epic Games opened a version of the Epic Games Store for Android devices worldwide and for iOS devices in Europe as a result of legal victories. The iOS launch was from the European Union's enforcement of remedies towards Apple under the Digital Markets Act.

April 2025: Rogers rules Apple's changes not sufficient

In April 2025, Judge Rogers ruled that Apple's changes to storefront policies were insufficient. This led to Epic bringing the Epic Games Store back to iOS within a week.

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