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Epic Games Store free-game claims give players a lasting library license, while Epic’s standard developer terms give a title 100% of its first $1 million in net revenue per calendar year and then apply an 88% developer / 12% Epic split. Those are separate arrangements: a player claiming a promotional game does not determine how the developer is paid on other sales. Epic First Run is a separate, optional six-month exclusivity program with its own 100% net-revenue term.
The practical distinction is straightforward: a claimed giveaway is not a trial, and the developer revenue threshold is not a rolling year or a per-publisher allowance. The details depend on when and how a game is claimed or sold, and an individual developer agreement can add obligations that affect payment.
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What does “free” mean when I claim an Epic Games Store game?
A promotional free-game claim adds a purchased digital license to your account library. Epic says a claimed game remains available to play after the offer ends, even when it is no longer free to new customers. That is different from a free trial, which grants temporary access and ends when the trial period expires. Epic explains both distinctions in its Epic Games Store FAQ.
Epic says a new free game is available each week, although the specific game, claim window, and availability can change. A free offer is therefore an opportunity to claim a particular product during its listed promotion—not a promise that every game is permanently free or that every account will see the same offer at the same time.
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For an offer you are considering, check that game’s Store page for the end date, supported platforms, and product requirements. The FAQ says compatibility information appears in each product’s specifications. A library entitlement does not mean that every version runs on every device, and it does not remove any account, system, or product requirements listed on the page.
Claimed game versus free-weekend trial
The difference is the duration of the entitlement. Claim the promotional game during its offer and it remains in your library after the promotion; download a trial and access ends when the trial period ends. A trial is intended to let someone try a game before purchasing, not to add a permanent license.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf a game you claimed is no longer shown as free on its Store page, that alone does not mean your license expired. The offer may simply have ended for new customers. Check the account and library associated with the claim; Epic’s FAQ also addresses cases where a claimed game is not visible on an account. If the claim was made on a different account, it will not appear in the current account’s library.
How does Epic’s standard developer revenue share work?
Under Epic’s published standard terms, a developer receives 100% of the first $1 million in net revenue per product per calendar year. After that title passes its annual threshold, the standard split is 88% to the developer and 12% to Epic on subsequent applicable revenue. Epic introduced the threshold on June 1, 2025, and says that beginning in 2026 it resets on January 1 each year. The published terms are described in the Developer Revenue Share FAQ and policy announcement.
The $1 million figure is a threshold for the title’s net revenue, not a guaranteed payment or a separate bonus. “100%” describes the revenue share: Epic does not take its standard 12% share on eligible net revenue while that title remains below the annual threshold. It should not be read as a promise that gross customer spending is paid out unchanged; the policy is expressly framed in terms of net revenue, and a developer’s agreement may include other provisions.
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Once a title has passed the threshold in a calendar year, the 88%/12% standard split applies to revenue above it for the rest of that year. The threshold is not a launch-date anniversary: a game launched in October does not receive its own October-to-October period. In the next calendar year, the threshold resets for that product on January 1.
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What counts toward the $1 million threshold?
The allowance applies per title, not per publisher. Revenue under a title with multiple publishers counts toward the same title-level threshold; it is not multiplied by the number of publishers. Epic also says supported PC and mobile platform revenue is combined for a title, as is revenue from multiple offers for that title when Epic processes them.
Changing who owns or publishes a title does not restart the threshold. A transfer to another developer leaves the title’s accumulated threshold status intact. This prevents the same product from receiving a fresh $1 million allowance simply because it changes hands during the year.
Epic says the policy applies automatically to Store titles and to games and non-game apps that use Epic’s payment system. However, a title with a recoupable obligation may be handled differently at first: Epic says it recoups the agreed amount before applying the 100%/0% share and then the standard 88%/12% split. Developers therefore need to read their own contract alongside the published default terms. The standard policy is not a substitute for the specifics of an individual agreement.
Does the revenue share apply to every in-game purchase?
No. The standard split described here concerns revenue processed by Epic, not automatically every transaction connected to a game. Epic’s 2025 Year in Review says developers can use their own payment systems for in-game purchases and that Epic takes no revenue from purchases made through those systems. That is a separate payment route from a purchase processed by Epic.
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The distinction matters because “Epic’s revenue share” is not a universal tax on everything a game earns. The relevant question is who processes the transaction and which agreement governs it. Epic’s description of its own payment terms supports the distinction, but it does not establish the terms or costs of an individual developer’s separate payment provider.
How is Epic First Run different from the standard share?
Epic First Run is an optional program that offers eligible products 100% of net revenue during their first six months of exclusivity on the Store. It is separate from the standard annual $1 million threshold: the First Run period is tied to six months of exclusivity, while the standard threshold is measured per product and resets by calendar year. A developer may therefore have a First Run term that overlaps a calendar-year threshold period.
At the end of the six-month First Run term, standard revenue terms apply, including any remaining amount under that year’s per-product $1 million threshold. First Run does not mean a game is exempt from the standard rules forever, nor does it turn the annual threshold into a six-month allowance. The program’s terms and eligibility are described on Epic’s Epic First Run Program page.
| Option | Revenue terms | Timing and conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard distribution | 100% of net revenue up to $1 million per title per calendar year; then 88% developer / 12% Epic | No First Run exclusivity requirement; threshold resets each January 1 |
| Epic First Run | 100% of net revenue during the first six months of qualifying exclusivity | Opt-in; eligibility and exclusivity rules apply; standard terms follow the program term |
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First Run is not available to every release. Epic says it is open to developers and publishers with registered developer accounts and eligible products launched on or after October 16, 2023. A qualifying product must be a new game or app release that was not previously released on another third-party PC store or included in a subscription service available on another third-party PC store. Epic’s program page also addresses products announced elsewhere, demos and betas, Early Access, and direct sales through a developer’s own store. Those details make the official eligibility rules important: “new to this Store” alone does not establish qualification.
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Epic’s 2025 Year in Review, published February 3, 2026, reports that the Store offered 100 free games in 2025 and recorded 662 million free-game claims. Epic also reports a total value of $2,316 per player for the free games and an average score of 78% across all free games. These are Epic’s own reported figures, not an independent audit or a guarantee of the value any particular player received.
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Epic also says that more than 77% of games reached an all-time peak concurrent-user record on the Store during their free-offer week. It reports that free offers coincided with a 40% lift in Steam concurrent users while a title was free on Epic. These figures describe effects Epic attributes to its program; they should not be treated as independently verified proof that the free offer alone caused the changes.
The numbers help explain why giveaways can matter to both sides of the Store: players get an opportunity to add games to their libraries, while an offer can bring additional attention and concurrent users to a title. They do not change the individual player’s license terms or the developer’s revenue-share calculation. A claim is still a claim entitlement, and a game’s sales are still governed by the applicable payment terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should players and developers check before relying on these terms?
Players should confirm the claim window and product compatibility on the individual Store listing, then make sure they are signed into the account where they want the game. If an offer has ended, the listing may no longer advertise the game as free even though a valid prior claim remains in the library. Keep in mind that trial access expires; do not assume a trial download is a permanent claim.
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Epic’s player FAQ, revenue-share terms, and First Run eligibility details are policy pages that can change. The descriptions here reflect the published material cited above; for a current offer, a new release, or a contract decision, consult the applicable official Store page or developer program terms rather than relying on a general summary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install an Epic free game before the offer ends?
Epic describes the lasting benefit as claiming the game, not installing it during the promotional window. Check the Store page and your library to confirm the claim was completed on the account you intend to use.
Does the $1 million revenue threshold follow a game if it changes publishers?
Yes. Epic says the threshold is tracked per title and does not reset when a title transfers to another developer. Multiple publishers also share that title’s threshold rather than receiving separate allowances.
Can a game qualify for Epic First Run if it was announced on another store?
An announcement elsewhere is not enough by itself to settle eligibility. Epic’s program page lists conditions for announced products, demos, betas, Early Access, and direct sales, so developers need to check those specific rules for the product.
Are the free-game claim and the 100% developer share connected?
They describe different things: the claim is a player’s digital license, while the share is a developer payment term for qualifying revenue. A giveaway does not itself redefine the standard revenue split on other transactions.
