Epic Games Store
PC storefront and launcher competing on cuts and exclusives—better for devs in spots, still a platform tax and account wall for players.
Extraction Stage 3
Surplus shifts toward business customers and shareholders; ads, fees, and degradation accelerate.
Epic disrupted revenue splits and funded exclusives, creating real competition for Steam. Players get free games and deals; Epic gets install base and Fortnite-adjacent reach. The launcher is useful but also a tether: another library, another friends graph. Stage 3: competitive extraction, not junk.
