History of Epic Games in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 16, 2026

Epic Games is a prominent American video game and software development company founded by Tim Sweeney in 1991. Initially known for the Unreal series, the company achieved massive global success with the launch of Fortnite, a cultural phenomenon that pioneered the battle royale genre and cross-platform play. Beyond game development, Epic Games is the creator of Unreal Engine, a world-leading 3D creation tool used extensively in gaming, film production, and architectural visualization. The company also operates the Epic Games Store, a digital storefront competing in the PC distribution market. Epic has become a central figure in modern tech policy, notably through its high-profile legal battles against Apple and Google concerning app store policies and ecosystem control. Through its commitment to high-fidelity graphics, digital infrastructure, and the pursuit of an open metaverse, Epic Games remains a transformative force at the intersection of gaming, software engineering, and digital commerce.

January 1991: Public Release of ZZT

In January 1991, Tim Sweeney utilized the Potomac Computer Systems brand to release his game, ZZT, to the public, marking the beginning of the company's shift toward the video game industry.

1991: Founding of Potomac Computer Systems

In 1991, Tim Sweeney founded Potomac Computer Systems while studying mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland. Operating out of his parents' home in Potomac, Maryland, Sweeney initially intended for the company to be a computer consulting business, though he eventually abandoned the project due to the significant effort required to maintain its stability.

1991: Founding of Potomac Computer Systems and Release of ZZT

In 1991, Tim Sweeney founded the company originally known as Potomac Computer Systems out of his parents' home in Maryland and released the studio's first commercial video game, ZZT.

1992: Rebranding to Epic MegaGames, Inc.

During early 1992, the company underwent a corporate restructuring and rebranding, changing its name from Potomac Computer Systems to Epic MegaGames, Inc., and appointed Mark Rein as vice president.

1992: Founding and Expansion of Epic MegaGames

In 1992, Tim Sweeney rebranded his company to Epic MegaGames to better compete with major studios like id Software and Apogee Software. During this period, he partnered with Mark Rein for business development, grew the staff to 20 employees, and hired Cliff Bleszinski after receiving his game submission, Dare to Dream.

1996: Release of Fire Fight

In 1996, Epic MegaGames collaborated with the Polish studio Chaos Works to produce the isometric shareware shooter Fire Fight, which was subsequently published by Electronic Arts.

1997: Epic MegaGames Workforce Expansion

By 1997, the company Epic MegaGames had successfully scaled its operations to include a global workforce of 50 employees.

1998: Launch of Unreal and Unreal Engine

In 1998, Epic MegaGames released the 3D first-person shooter Unreal, co-developed with Digital Extremes, and initiated the business practice of licensing their core technology, the Unreal Engine, to other developers.

February 1999: Epic MegaGames Rebrands and Relocates

In February 1999, Epic MegaGames officially moved its corporate headquarters to Cary, North Carolina, and shortened its company name to Epic Games. This transition aimed to centralize the development team under one roof and move away from the 'Mega' branding that no longer reflected their identity.

1999: Relocation to Cary and Rebranding to Epic Games

In 1999, the company moved its corporate headquarters to Cary, North Carolina, and officially changed its name to Epic Games.

2004: Launch of Make Something Unreal Competition

In 2004, the company introduced the Make Something Unreal competition, a contest designed to incentivize and reward game developers for building modifications using the Unreal game engine. During this inaugural 2004 event, Tripwire Interactive was named a winner, receiving $80,000 in cash and computer hardware.

2006: Epic 3.0 Strategic Shift and Gears of War Launch

In 2006, Epic Games initiated a major corporate transition labeled "Epic 3.0" to move away from the PC market due to rampant piracy and toward console development. As part of this new direction, they launched the successful console title Gears of War, which earned $100 million in 2006 against a $12 million production budget.

2008: Release of Gears of War 2

In 2008, Epic Games successfully released Gears of War 2, which achieved significant commercial success by selling more than three million copies during its initial month on the market.

May 2009: ZZT Sales Milestone

As of May 2009, ZZT had successfully sold several thousand copies, with orders still being fulfilled by mail by Paul Sweeney at the original Potomac Computer Systems location.

September 1, 2010: Epic Citadel Release

On September 1, 2010, Epic Games launched Epic Citadel as a technological demonstration of the Unreal Engine 3 capabilities across Apple iOS, Adobe Flash Player Stage3D, and HTML5 WebGL platforms.

December 9, 2010: Infinity Blade Release

Epic Games released their mobile title Infinity Blade for iOS on December 9, 2010.

2011: Titan Studios Dissolution and Fortnite Announcement

During 2011, Epic Games dissolved its subsidiary Titan Studios. Additionally, at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards held that year, Epic Games officially announced their upcoming title, Fortnite.

2011: Gears of War 3 Launch

In 2011, Epic Games released Gears of War 3, marking the third installment in the popular series.

March 2012: Epic Games China Rebrands to Ying Pei Games

In March 2012, Epic Games China transitioned into an independent entity known as Ying Pei Games. While Epic Games maintained a minority interest, the studio continued its development work on the game Mercenary Ops.

June 2012: Establishment of Epic Baltimore

In June 2012, Epic Games announced the opening of a new studio branch called Epic Baltimore, which was formed using staff members from the former 38 Studios' Big Huge Games.

June 2012: Tencent's Acquisition of Epic Games Stake

In June 2012, Tencent acquired a 48.4% stake in Epic Games' issued share capital for $330 million, a move Tim Sweeney described as the beginning of 'Epic 4.0' to better align the company with the games-as-a-service model.

August 2012: Rebranding to Impossible Studios

During August 2012, Epic Games underwent a rebranding process for its recently opened Baltimore branch, officially renaming it Impossible Studios.

August 2012: Acquisition of People Can Fly

In August 2012, Epic Games completed the full acquisition of the developer People Can Fly to integrate them further into their development operations.

2012: Tencent Acquisition of Stake

In 2012, Tencent acquired a 48.4% outstanding stake in Epic Games, representing 40% of the total company, to facilitate a transition toward a games-as-a-service business model.

January 29, 2013: Epic Citadel Android Launch

Following its initial release on other platforms, Epic Games brought the Epic Citadel tech demo to Android devices on January 29, 2013.

February 2013: Closure of Impossible Studios

Following its brief period of operation, Impossible Studios officially closed its doors in February 2013.

November 2013: Rebranding to Epic Games Poland

In November 2013, the studio formerly known as People Can Fly was officially rebranded as Epic Games Poland as the team began contributing to the development of Fortnite alongside the main Epic Games team.

November 2013: Final Shipment of ZZT

The final physical copy of the game ZZT was officially shipped by Paul Sweeney in November 2013, concluding the long-running distribution of the title.

2014: Announcement of Unreal Tournament

In 2014, Epic Games announced the development of a new, community-driven free-to-play version of Unreal Tournament.

2014: Unreal Engine Guinness World Record

In 2014, Unreal Engine received formal recognition from Guinness World Records, officially naming it the most successful videogame engine.

March 2015: Unreal Engine 4 becomes free to use

In March 2015, following a significant investment from Tencent, Epic Games transitioned their Unreal Engine 4 software to a free-to-use model for all developers, implementing a business structure where they collect a 5% royalty fee on any games produced using the engine.

June 2015: Epic Games Poland Departs and Rebrands to People Can Fly

In June 2015, Epic Games reached an agreement to divest from its Polish studio, resulting in the studio's independence and its return to the original name, People Can Fly.

2015: Release of Shadow Complex Remastered

In 2015, Epic Games expanded its catalog by releasing a remastered version of Shadow Complex designed for contemporary computer hardware and game consoles.

2016: Launch of Paragon

During 2016, Epic Games released Paragon, a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game, for both Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.

April 7, 2017: Launch of Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition

On April 7, 2017, People Can Fly, having retained the rights to the intellectual property, released a remastered version of their title titled Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, which was published by Gearbox Software.

2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Release

In 2017, Epic Games released the highly popular title Fortnite Battle Royale, which provided the financial backing for company expansion, including new esports initiatives and the creation of the Epic Games Store.