Epic Games, founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991 and later renamed Epic MegaGames before becoming Epic Games, is an American video game and software developer and publisher. Originating in Potomac, Maryland, and now based in Cary, North Carolina, the company's first commercial video game was ZZT (1991). Mark Rein joined in 1992 and has been its vice president since. Epic Games has become a major player in the gaming industry.
January 1991: ZZT Game Release
In January 1991, Tim Sweeney released his game ZZT to the public under the Potomac Computer Systems name.
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1991: Potomac Computer Systems Founded
In 1991, Tim Sweeney founded Potomac Computer Systems while studying mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland.
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1991: Potomac Computer Systems Founded
In 1991, Tim Sweeney founded Potomac Computer Systems, which was originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland.
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1992: Rebranded as Epic MegaGames
In early 1992, Potomac Computer Systems rebranded as Epic MegaGames, Inc. and brought on Mark Rein as vice president.
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1992: Epic MegaGames Name and Expansion
In early 1992, Sweeney renamed Potomac Computer Systems to Epic MegaGames. He partnered with Mark Rein and expanded to 20 employees, including Cliff Bleszinski.
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1996: Fire Fight Release
In 1996, Epic MegaGames produced Fire Fight, a shareware isometric shooter developed by Chaos Works and published by Electronic Arts.
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1997: Company Growth
By 1997, Epic MegaGames had 50 people working for them worldwide.
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1998: Unreal Release and Engine Licensing
In 1998, Epic MegaGames released Unreal, a 3D first-person shooter co-developed with Digital Extremes. The company also began licensing the Unreal Engine to other developers.
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February 1999: Move to Cary and Rebranding
In February 1999, Epic MegaGames announced its move to Cary, North Carolina, and rebranding to Epic Games, dropping "Mega" from its name. The move was to centralize the company's developers.
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1999: Headquarters Move and Name Change
In 1999, Epic MegaGames moved its headquarters to Cary, North Carolina, and changed its name to Epic Games.
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2004: Make Something Unreal Competition Launched
In 2004, Epic Games launched the Make Something Unreal competition to reward video game developers creating mods using the Unreal Engine.
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2006: Shift to Console Development and Gears of War Release
Around 2006, Epic Games shifted its focus to console development due to PC game piracy. In 2006, they released the Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War.
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July 19, 2007: Silicon Knights Sues Epic Games
On July 19, 2007, Silicon Knights sued Epic Games for failure to provide a working game engine, alleging that Epic was sabotaging Unreal Engine 3 licensees.
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August 2007: Epic Games Counter-Sues Silicon Knights
In August 2007, Epic Games counter-sued Silicon Knights, alleging unauthorized use of Epic's Licensed Technology and infringement of intellectual property rights.
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2008: Gears of War 2 Release
In 2008, Epic Games released Gears of War 2, which sold over three million copies within its first month.
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May 2009: ZZT Sales Update
As of May 2009, ZZT had sold several thousand copies, with orders still being fulfilled by Sweeney's father.
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December 9, 2010: Infinity Blade Release
On December 9, 2010, Epic Games released Infinity Blade, an iOS game.
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2011: Titan Studios Dissolved and Fortnite Announced
In 2011, Epic's subsidiary Titan Studios was dissolved. At the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, Epic Games announced their new game Fortnite.
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March 2012: Epic Games China Becomes Ying Pei Games
In March 2012, Epic Games China became independent from Epic as Ying Pei Games, while Epic retained a minority stake.
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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.
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June 2012: Epic Baltimore Studio Opening
In June 2012, Epic announced the opening of Epic Baltimore, comprised of members from 38 Studios' Big Huge Games.
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June 2012: Tencent Investment
In June 2012, Tencent acquired approximately 48.4% of Epic's share capital, equating to 40% of total Epic, for $330 million, in exchange for help in moving Epic towards a games-as-a-service model.
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August 2012: Epic Baltimore Renamed Impossible Studios
In August 2012, Epic Baltimore was renamed Impossible Studios.
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August 2012: Epic Acquires People Can Fly
In August 2012, Epic fully acquired People Can Fly.
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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 recall/destroy unsold retail copies of games built with Unreal Engine 3 code.
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2012: Tencent Acquires Stake in Epic
In 2012, Tencent acquired a 48.4% outstanding stake, equating to 40% of total Epic, in Epic Games, as part of an agreement aimed at moving Epic towards a games as a service model.
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January 29, 2013: Epic Citadel Release for Android
On January 29, 2013, Epic Games released Epic Citadel for Android.
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February 2013: Impossible Studios Closure
In February 2013, Impossible Studios closed its doors.
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November 2013: Final ZZT Copy Shipped
In November 2013, the final copy of ZZT was shipped by Paul Sweeney, marking the end of an era.
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May 16, 2014: Silicon Knights Files for Bankruptcy
On May 16, 2014, Silicon Knights filed for bankruptcy.
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2014: Free-to-play Unreal Tournament Announced
In 2014, Epic announced a free-to-play, community-developed Unreal Tournament.
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2014: Unreal Engine Recognized
In 2014, the Unreal Engine developed by Epic Games was named the "most successful videogame engine" by Guinness World Records.
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March 2015: Unreal Engine 4 Relicensing
In March 2015, Epic Games relicensed Unreal Engine 4 to be free for all users, taking 5% royalties on games developed with the engine.
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June 2015: Epic Games Poland Departure
In June 2015, Epic agreed to allow Epic Games Poland's departure and sold its shares in the studio. The studio reverted to People Can Fly.
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2015: Shadow Complex Remastered and Robo Recall Released
In 2015, Epic released a remastered version of Shadow Complex for newer consoles and computers, and Robo Recall for Oculus Rift, their first VR foray.
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2016: Paragon Launched
In 2016, Epic launched Paragon, a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.
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April 7, 2017: Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition Release
On April 7, 2017, People Can Fly launched a remastered version of Bulletstorm called Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, published by Gearbox Software.
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July 2017: Fortnite Early Access Launch
By July 2017, Epic launched Fortnite through a paid early access.
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September 2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Release
In September 2017, Epic developed and released Fortnite Battle Royale as a free-to-play title across computer, console, and mobile platforms.
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2017: Tim Sweeney Questions Digital Storefront Revenue Cuts
As early as 2017, Tim Sweeney had questioned the need for digital storefronts to take a 30% revenue sharing cut.
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2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Release
Following the release of the popular Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017, Epic gained additional investments that enabled it to expand its Unreal Engine offerings, establish esports events, and launch the Epic Games Store.
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2017: Disney Accelerator Program
In 2017, Epic Games was selected as one of eleven companies to be part of the Disney Accelerator program, providing equity investment and access to Disney executives.
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May 2018: Fortnite Player Base Milestone
By May 2018, Fortnite Battle Royale amassed over 125 million players.
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July 2018: Fortnite Revenue and Valuation
By July 2018, Fortnite Battle Royale was estimated to have earned over $1 billion, valuing Epic Games at $4.5 billion.
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July 2018: Unreal Engine Marketplace Revenue Cut Reduction and Epic Games Store Launch
In July 2018, Epic reduced the revenue cut for assets sold on the Unreal Engine Marketplace from 30% to 12% and launched the Epic Games Store with a 12% revenue cut.
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December 4, 2018: Epic Games Store Announced
On December 4, 2018, Epic Games announced the Epic Games Store, an open digital storefront for games on Windows. It launched a few days later.
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March 2019: Fortnite Player Count Update
As of March 2019, Fortnite has drawn nearly 250 million players.
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2019: Epic Supports Filmmakers Using Unreal Engine
Since 2019, Epic has provided support for filmmakers using Unreal Engine to create virtual sets and will be backing major animated feature film production using Unreal.
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March 2020: Houseparty Hacking Accusations and $1 Million Bounty
In March 2020, Epic Games faced accusations that its Houseparty app led to hacks of other services. Epic and Life on Air refuted these claims, offering a $1 million bounty for proof.
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May 2020: Epic Online Services Released
In May 2020, Epic Online Services, a free SDK for implementing cross-platform play features, was first released for all developers.
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August 13, 2020: Epic Games Updates Fortnite, Leading to Removal from Apple and Google Storefronts
On August 13, 2020, Epic Games updated Fortnite to reduce the price of V-Bucks if purchased directly from Epic, bypassing Apple and Google's payment systems. Consequently, Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their storefronts, and Epic filed lawsuits against both companies for antitrust and anticompetitive behavior.
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August 28, 2020: Apple Plans to Terminate Epic's Developer Accounts
On August 28, 2020, Apple responded to the lawsuit by stating it would terminate Epic's developer accounts, prompting Epic to file a motion for a preliminary injunction.
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September 2020: Epic Games Launches Coalition for App Fairness
In September 2020, Epic Games, along with other companies, launched the Coalition for App Fairness to advocate for better conditions for app inclusion in app stores.
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April 2021: Epic Games Acquires ArtStation
In April 2021, Epic Games acquired ArtStation, a marketplace for professional artists. This acquisition provided ArtStation members access to Epic's resources, including the Unreal Engine, and reduced the ArtStation marketplace's revenue cut from 30% to 12%.
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June 2021: Epic Online Services Adds Anti-Cheat and Voice Chat Support
In June 2021, support for anti-cheat and voice chat was added to Epic Online Services.
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July 2021: Epic Games Acquires Sketchfab
In July 2021, Epic Games acquired Sketchfab, a marketplace for 3D models. The acquisition allowed Sketchfab to reduce its pricing structure, lowering its revenue cut on purchases to 12% and making their Sketchfab Plus level of membership free.
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September 10, 2021: U.S. District Court Rules on 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 blocking Apple from preventing developers from linking app users to other storefronts from within apps.
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November 2021: Epic Games Acquires Harmonix
In November 2021, Epic Games acquired Harmonix, a music game developer. Harmonix continued to support existing games while building out Fortnite's musical experiences and Epic's larger metaverse plans.
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March 2022: Epic Acquires Bandcamp
In March 2022, Epic acquired the indie music platform Bandcamp. Bandcamp was expected to remain independently operated under Epic.
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April 2022: Equity Valuation
As of April 2022, Epic Games has a US$32 billion equity valuation.
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September 2022: Epic and Autodesk Partner for Twinmotion
In September 2022, Epic and Autodesk partnered, making Twinmotion available to Revit subscribers.
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December 2022: Epic Games Fined $520 Million by FTC
In December 2022, Epic Games was fined $520 million by the FTC for COPPA violations related to Fortnite and for misleading users into unwanted purchases.
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April 2023: Epic Acquires Aquiris Game Studio
In April 2023, Epic acquired Brazilian developer Aquiris Game Studio, the developer of Horizon Chase, and renamed it Epic Games Brasil, with the intention to be used in Fortnite.
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September 2023: Epic Sells Bandcamp to Songtradr
In September 2023, Epic sold Bandcamp to music licensing company Songtradr.
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December 2023: Fortnite Festival Mode Launch
In December 2023, Fortnite added a Fortnite Festival mode that mimics the note-matching gameplay of Rock Band.
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December 2023: Jury Finds Google Maintained Monopoly on Android Marketplace
In December 2023, the jury found for Epic on all claims made, determining that Google maintained a monopoly on the Android marketplace.
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January 2024: Second Phase of Google Trial Scheduled
In January 2024, a second phase of the trial against Google is scheduled to occur to determine remedies.
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December 2024: Epic Games to Pay $245 Million in FTC Settlement
In December 2024, Epic Games agreed to pay $245 million as part of a settlement with the FTC over the use of dark patterns to drive in-game purchases, with $72 million designated for refunds to over 600,000 users.
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January 2025: Epic Games Store Launches on Android and iOS in Europe
In January 2025, Epic opened a version of the Epic Games Store for Android devices worldwide and for iOS devices in Europe.
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