History of Epic Games in Timeline

Epic Games, founded by Tim Sweeney in 1991 as Potomac Computer Systems and later renamed Epic MegaGames, is an American video game and software developer and publisher. Based in Cary, North Carolina since 1999, with Mark Rein as vice president since 1992, the company is known for its game engine technology, Unreal Engine, and popular video games like ZZT.

January 1991: ZZT released to the public

In January 1991, after finishing his game ZZT, Sweeney reused the Potomac Computer Systems name to release the game to the public.

1991: Tim Sweeney founded Potomac Computer Systems

In 1991, Tim Sweeney founded Potomac Computer Systems, which was originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland.

1992: Potomac Computer Systems becomes Epic MegaGames, Inc.

In early 1992, Potomac Computer Systems became Epic MegaGames, Inc., and Mark Rein joined the company as vice president.

1992: Sweeney renames company Epic MegaGames

In early 1992, Sweeney renamed Potomac Computer Systems to "Epic MegaGames" and partnered with Mark Rein, focusing on sales, marketing, and publishing deals.

1996: Epic MegaGames releases Fire Fight

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

1997: Epic MegaGames employs 50 worldwide

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

1998: Epic MegaGames releases Unreal

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

February 1999: Epic MegaGames moves headquarters and rebrands to Epic Games

In February 1999, Epic MegaGames relocated its headquarters to Cary, North Carolina, and rebranded as Epic Games, dropping the "Mega" part of the name.

1999: Epic MegaGames becomes Epic Games and moves headquarters to Cary

In 1999, Epic MegaGames changed its name to Epic Games after moving its headquarters to Cary, North Carolina.

2004: Epic Games launched Make Something Unreal competition.

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

2006: Epic shifted to console development and released Gears of War

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

July 19, 2007: Silicon Knights sued Epic Games

On July 19, 2007, Silicon Knights sued Epic Games for failure to "provide a working game engine", alleging Epic was sabotaging Unreal Engine 3 licensees.

August 2007: Epic Games counter-sued Silicon Knights

In August 2007, Epic Games counter-sued Silicon Knights, alleging the studio was aware that certain features of Unreal Engine 3 were still in development when signing the licensing agreement.

2008: Epic Games released Gears of War 2

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

2008: Acquisition of Chair Entertainment

In 2008, Epic acquired Utah based Chair Entertainment, developer of Undertow.

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May 2009: ZZT sales update

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

2009: Launch of Shadow Complex

In Summer 2009, Chair Entertainment launched Shadow Complex, an adventure game inspired by the Metroid series.

September 1, 2010: Epic Citadel tech demo 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 for iOS.

2011: Epic Games dissolved Titan Studios and announced Fortnite

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

2011: Release of Gears of War 3

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

March 2012: Epic Games China becomes Ying Pei Games

In March 2012, Epic Games China became independent from Epic as Ying Pei Games, developing Mercenary Ops at the time, while Epic still retained a minority stake.

May 30, 2012: Epic Games won 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.

June 2012: Epic opened Epic Baltimore studio

In June 2012, Epic Games announced it was opening a new studio, Epic Baltimore, comprised of members of 38 Studios' Big Huge Games.

June 2012: Tencent acquired stake in Epic Games

In June 2012, Tencent acquired approximately 48.4% of Epic's then issued share capital, equating to 40% of total Epic, for $330 million. Tencent Holdings has the right to nominate directors to the board of Epic Games, but Sweeney stated that Tencent otherwise has very little control on the creative output of Epic Games.

August 2012: Epic Baltimore renamed Impossible Studios

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

August 2012: Epic Games fully acquired People Can Fly

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

November 7, 2012: Silicon Knights directed 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 copies of games built with it, including Too Human and X-Men Destiny.

2012: Tencent Acquires Stake in Epic Games

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 for Android

On January 29, 2013, Epic Citadel was released for Android.

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 copy of ZZT shipped

In November 2013, the final copy of ZZT was shipped by Paul Sweeney.

May 16, 2014: Silicon Knights filed for bankruptcy

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

2014: Announcement of Unreal Tournament Community Project

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

2014: Unreal Engine Named Most Successful Videogame Engine

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

March 2015: Unreal Engine 4 re-licensed as free with royalty model

In March 2015, the investment infusion from Tencent allowed Epic Games to relicense the Unreal Engine 4 engine to be free for all users to develop with, with Epic taking 5% royalties on games developed with the engine.

June 2015: Epic Games Poland departs from Epic Games

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 their former name, People Can Fly.

2015: Epic releases Shadow Complex remastered version and Robo Recall

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

2016: Paragon launched for Windows and PlayStation 4

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

April 7, 2017: People Can Fly launches Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition

On April 7, 2017, People Can Fly, who had retained the Bulletstorm IP, launched a remastered version called Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, published by Gearbox Software.

July 2017: Fortnite launched through paid early access

By July 2017, Fortnite was finally in a state for public play. Epic launched the title through a paid early access.

September 2017: Fortnite Battle Royale Released

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

2017: Release of Fortnite Battle Royale

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

2017: Disney Accelerator Program

In 2017, Epic Games was selected as one of the eleven companies to be part of the Disney Accelerator program, providing Epic with equity investment, access to Disney's executives, and a potential opportunity to work with Disney in the future.

2017: Tim Sweeney questioned digital storefront revenue sharing

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.

January 2018: Acquisition of Cloudgine

In January 2018, Epic acquired Cloudgine, a developer of cloud-based gaming software.

May 2018: Fortnite Battle Royale Surpasses 125 Million Players

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

July 2018: Fortnite Battle Royale Revenue Exceeds $1 Billion

By July 2018, Fortnite Battle Royale had earned over $1 billion through microtransactions. Epic Games' valuation was estimated at $4.5 billion due to the game's success.

July 2018: Reduced Unreal Engine Marketplace revenue cut

In July 2018, Epic reduced the revenue cut it took for assets sold on the Unreal Engine Marketplace from 30% to 12%.

October 2018: $1.25 Billion Investment

In October 2018, Epic Games acquired $1.25 billion in investment from seven firms, valuing the company at nearly $15 billion.

October 2018: Acquisition of Kamu

In October 2018, Epic acquired Kamu, a firm that offered anti-cheat software called Easy Anti-Cheat.

December 4, 2018: Epic Games Store announced

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

January 2019: Partnering with Improbable

In January 2019, Epic Games partnered with Improbable to launch a $25 million fund to help developers affected by the Unity Technologies changes related to the Unity game engine.

January 2019: Acquisition of 3Lateral and Agog Labs

In January 2019, Epic acquired 3Lateral and Agog Labs. 3Lateral is known for its "digital human" creations, and Agog had developed SkookumScript.

February 2019: $100 Million Prize Pool for Fortnite Esports

In February 2019, Epic launched a $100 million prize pool for Fortnite-related esports activities planned for 2019 onward.

March 2019: Fortnite Draws Nearly 250 Million Players

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

May 2019: Hiring Nate Nanzer for Esports Initiatives

In May 2019, Epic Games hired Nate Nanzer from Blizzard Entertainment, who was the commissioner of the Overwatch League, to expand its esports initiatives.

May 2019: Acquisition of Psyonix

In May 2019, Epic acquired Psyonix, the developer of Rocket League.

June 2019: British Academy of Film and Television Arts Special Award

In June 2019, Epic Games received the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Special Award for its developments for the Unreal Engine.

June 2019: Acquisition of Life on Air (Houseparty)

In June 2019, Epic acquired Life on Air, the developers behind Houseparty, a social networking service.

July 2019: MegaGrants Initiative funds Blender Foundation

In July 2019, the Blender Foundation received $1.2 million from Epic's MegaGrants funding to improve and professionalize their Blender tools for 3D art creation.

November 2019: Acquisition of Quixel

In November 2019, Epic acquired Quixel, the world's largest photogrammetry asset library, to open its library to Unreal Engine users.

2019: Epic supported filmmakers using Unreal Engine

Since 2019, Epic has provided support for filmmakers using the Unreal Engine to create virtual sets for productions such as The Mandalorian and backed major animated feature film production using Unreal, starting with Gilgamesh.

January 1, 2020: Unreal license fees waived retroactively

On January 1, 2020, Epic waived all Unreal license fees retroactively for games up through the first $1 million in revenue, regardless of how they were published.

March 2020: Acquisition of Cubic Motion

In March 2020, Epic acquired Cubic Motion, a studio that provides highly detailed digital facial animations for films and video games.

March 2020: Epic Games Publishing Label

In March 2020, Epic announced the creation of Epic Games Publishing, a multi-platform publishing label. They also announced deals with Remedy Entertainment, Playdead, and GenDesign.

March 2020: Accusations of Hacking Related to Houseparty App

In late March 2020, accusations circulated on social media claiming that the Epic Games' Houseparty app led to the hacking of other services such as Netflix and Spotify. Epic and Life on Air claimed it was a smear campaign and offered a $1 million bounty for substantiating the claim.

May 13, 2020: Unreal Engine 5 Announcement and Epic Online Services Release

On May 13, 2020, Unreal Engine 5 was announced along with the release of Epic Online Services, a free SDK toolset. Epic also waived all Unreal license fees retroactively for games up through the first $1 million in revenue, starting from January 1, 2020.

May 2020: Epic Online Services released

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

May 2020: Sony investment and Unreal Engine 5 demonstration

In May 2020, Sweeney said that Sony had started talking with Epic about investing following the demonstration of the Unreal Engine 5.

June 2020: Nearing $17 Billion Valuation and Movie Nite on Fortnite

In June 2020, Epic was nearing a $17 billion valuation after completing a new $750 million investing round. The company also partnered with Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. to acquire distribution rights for Inception, Batman Begins, and The Prestige as part of "Movie Nite" on Fortnite's "Party Royale" island.

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August 13, 2020: Epic Games updated Fortnite, resulting in 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 the Apple and Google storefronts. Consequently, Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their stores, leading Epic to file lawsuits against both for antitrust and anticompetitive behavior.

August 28, 2020: Apple threatened 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 to prevent this, as it would impact Unreal Engine updates for iOS and macOS.

September 2020: Coalition for App Fairness launched

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

September 2020: Epic acquired SuperAwesome

In September 2020, Epic acquired SuperAwesome, a firm specializing in developing services to support child-safe games, to incorporate safety features into Epic's portfolio and offer them to other developers, particularly for metaverse games.

November 2020: Epic acquired Hyprsense

In November 2020, Epic acquired Hyprsense, a company specializing in digital facial animation technology.

2020: Fall Guys success

In 2020, Mediatonic's Fall Guys had major success.

2020: Closure of Cary Towne Center

The Cary Towne Center was scheduled to be closed and demolished after 2020, before being purchased by Epic Games in January 2021.

January 2021: Purchase of Cary Towne Center

In January 2021, Epic Games purchased Cary Towne Center in Cary, North Carolina, to be their new headquarters and campus.

January 2021: Epic acquired RAD Game Tools

In January 2021, Epic acquired RAD Game Tools, a company providing middleware solutions for video game development, with plans to integrate these tools into the Unreal Engine. RAD's tools were to remain available outside of Unreal as well.

February 2021: MetaHuman Creator Project Unveiled

In February 2021, Epic unveiled its MetaHuman Creator project, a browser-based application for game developers to create realistic human characters.

March 2021: Epic acquired Tonic Games Group and Capturing Reality

In March 2021, Epic acquired Tonic Games Group, including developers Mediatonic and Fortitude Games, along with Capturing Reality, the developers of RealityCapture. Fall Guys would remain on Steam, while Epic planned to integrate RealityCapture into the Unreal Engine.

March 2021: Partnership with Cesium

In March 2021, Epic announced a partnership with Cesium to bring its 3D geospatial data as a free add-on into the Unreal Engine.

April 2021: Epic Games acquired ArtStation

In April 2021, Epic Games acquired ArtStation, a marketplace for professional artists. As part of the acquisition, ArtStation members gained access to Epic's tools such as the Unreal Engine, and the ArtStation marketplace reduced its purchase fee from 30% to 12%.

April 2021: $1 Billion Funding Round for Metaverse Vision

In April 2021, Epic completed another $1 billion round of funding to support the company's "long-term vision for the metaverse", putting the company's valuation at $28.7 billion. The round included a $200 million investment from Sony.

June 2021: Epic Online Services updated

In June 2021, Epic Online Services was updated with support for anti-cheat and voice chat features.

July 2021: Epic acquired Sketchfab

In July 2021, Epic acquired Sketchfab, a marketplace for 3D models. Similar to ArtStation, the acquisition allowed Sketchfab to reduce its pricing, lowering its revenue cut on purchases to 12% and making its Sketchfab Plus membership free.

September 10, 2021: First Ruling on Epic Games v. Apple

On September 10, 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in favor of Apple on nine of ten counts in the Epic Games v. Apple case. These included charges related to Apple's revenue cut and prohibition against third-party marketplaces. However, Rogers ruled against Apple on anti-steering provisions and issued an injunction, blocking Apple from preventing developers from linking app users to other storefronts from within apps.

September 2021: Apple Victorious in Bench Trial Against Epic

In September 2021, Apple was ultimately victorious in a bench trial against Epic Games, with the ruling upheld through appeals. This lawsuit stemmed from Epic releasing a version of Fortnite with a direct payment system bypassing Apple's storefront.

October 2021: Expansion of Publishing Options with Spry Fox and Eyes Out

In October 2021, Epic Games expanded their publishing options with Spry Fox and Eyes Out.

October 2021: Houseparty App Shuttered

In October 2021, Epic later shuttered Houseparty's app, though the team behind it was continuing to develop social apps for Epic's platforms.

October 2021: New Scripted Entertainment Division

In October 2021, The Information reported that Epic Games was launching a new scripted entertainment division, with initial plans for a Fortnite film.

November 2021: Epic Games acquired Harmonix

In November 2021, Epic Games acquired Harmonix, a music game developer, for undisclosed terms. Harmonix continued to support their existing games, including Rock Band 4 and Fuser.

February 2022: Half a Billion Accounts Created

In February 2022, Epic Games announced that at least half a billion accounts have been created on its platform.

March 2022: Epic acquired Bandcamp

In March 2022, Epic acquired the indie music platform Bandcamp. Bandcamp was expected to remain independently operated under Epic while benefiting from Epic's backend services.

April 2022: Epic Games' Equity Valuation Reaches US$32 Billion

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

April 2022: $1 Billion Investments from Sony and Kirkbi

In April 2022, Epic received another $1 billion each from Sony and Kirkbi. Also, Epic and Lego announced their partnership to build a child-friendly space in the metaverse.

April 2022: RealityScan Beta Release

In April 2022, Epic released the initial beta version of RealityScan, a mobile app that uses tools from Capturing Reality and Quixel for creating 3D models from photos.

September 2022: Epic and Autodesk partnered

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

2022: Unreal Engine 5 planned release

In 2022, Epic planned to release the early version of Unreal Engine 5.

April 2023: Epic acquired Aquiris Game Studio

In April 2023, Epic acquired Brazilian developer Aquiris Game Studio, the developer of Horizon Chase, and rebranded it as Epic Games Brasil, with the intention to be used in Fortnite.

September 2023: Layoffs and Divestments

In September 2023, Epic Games laid off 870 employees, divested in Bandcamp to Songtradr, and spun off SuperAwesome into its own company.

September 2023: Epic sold Bandcamp

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

December 2023: Fortnite Festival mode added

In December 2023, Epic Games added a Fortnite Festival mode that mimics the note-matching gameplay of Rock Band, expanding Fortnite's musical experiences as part of its metaverse plans.

December 2023: Rocket Racing in Fortnite

In December 2023, Psyonix developed an arcade-style car racing game called Rocket Racing inside of Fortnite.

December 2023: Jury Finds Google Maintained Monopoly on Android Marketplace

In December 2023, a jury found in favor of Epic Games on all claims against Google, determining that Google maintained a monopoly on the Android marketplace through its management of the Play Store and its use of leverage to make deals with partners.

December 2023: Jury Finds Google's Actions Monopolistic

In December 2023, a jury trial found that Google's actions regarding its app store were monopolistic. This lawsuit was initiated after Epic released a version of Fortnite with a direct payment system bypassing Google's storefront.

January 2024: Scheduled Second Phase of Google Trial for Remedies

In January 2024, a second phase of the trial between Epic Games and Google is scheduled to occur to determine remedies, following the jury's finding that Google maintained a monopoly on the Android marketplace in December 2023.

February 7, 2024: $1.5 Billion Investment from Disney

On February 7, 2024, Epic Games received a $1.5 billion investment from the Walt Disney Company for a 9% stake, with plans to co-develop new games and an "entertainment universe" encompassing its properties, and bring more Disney properties to Fortnite.

July 2024: SAG-AFTRA Labor Strike

In July 2024, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) initiated a labor strike against video publishers, including Epic Games, over concerns about lack of A.I. protections.

October 22, 2024: Launch of Fab Marketplace

On October 22, 2024, Epic launched Fab, a unified marketplace for Unreal Engine Marketplace, Sketchfab, ArtStation Marketplace, and Quixel assets.

December 6, 2024: Revocation of Epic's zoning application for Cary Towne Center

On December 6, 2024, The Town of Cary revoked Epic's zoning application for Cary Towne Center, declaring it "inactive".

December 2024: Epic Settled with FTC for $245 Million

In December 2024, Epic Games settled with the FTC, agreeing to pay $245 million in relation to the use of dark patterns it used to drive users to buy V-bucks. Additionally, $72 million was issued as refunds by the FTC to more than 600,000 users that had filed claims in the case.

January 2025: Epic Games Store for 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 due to legal victories.

April 2025: Rogers Rules in Epic's Favor Regarding Apple's Third-Party Store Policies

In April 2025, Judge Rogers ruled that Apple's changes to third-party store policies were insufficient. As a result, Apple was blocked from taking fees from third-party stores or restricting how they are shown in apps, leading to Epic bringing the Epic Games Store back to iOS within a week.