Since having come out all the best way again in December 2018, Epic Video games Retailer has seen sluggish and regular improvement, with Epic having added a number of options over time. Now, nearly seven years later, Epic Video games Retailer lastly permits customers to reward video games to one another. Video games accessible on the digital distribution platform now even have a “Purchase as a Present” choice alongside the Purchase Now, Wishlist, and Add to Cart buttons.
When a person has purchased a sport as a present, the recipient has 14 days to simply accept the reward. If the recipient already owns the reward, the acquisition is routinely refunded for the unique purchaser. Items will also be rejected by recipients, which additionally routinely refunds the acquisition. Items can solely be despatched to these already in your mates listing on Epic.
Epic has additionally confirmed that Epic Rewards can be utilized to enhance your Epic Video games Retailer steadiness when buying a present.
“Gifting is reside on the Epic Video games Retailer,” wrote Epic within the official announcement. “Gamers can now buy and ship video games on to mates on their Epic mates listing, making it simpler to have fun particular events, share favourite titles, or simply shock a pal with a brand new sport.”
It’s price noting that, whereas most paid video games, editions, add-ons and bundles may be gifted, there are some things accessible on Epic Video games Retailer that aren’t eligible. These embody free-to-play video games, pre-purchase presents, subscriptions, and in-game forex or different consumable objects. Gifting is at the moment supported when utilizing Epic Video games Retailer by means of both the Launcher or by means of an internet browser.
A serious limitation of the brand new gifting characteristic on Epic Video games Retailer is the truth that it is just accessible for mates in the identical area. Attempting to purchase a present for a pal in a unique area will current an error earlier than check-out. In line with the gifting FAQ, cross-region gifting is a deliberate characteristic that can arrive in a future replace. Items can even solely be purchased individually for every pal.
Whereas progress has been sluggish for Epic Video games Retailer, the web storefront has slowly been catching as much as the most important on-line sport retailer for PC proper now: Steam. Valve’s storefront had launched all the best way again in 2003, and over time has gotten a number of options other than merely buying video games. These options have ranged from social ones, like expansive choices for mates listing administration, sport communities and {the marketplace}, to extra behind-the-scenes options, like SteamInput guaranteeing most video games are playable with fashionable controllers, and even mod help by means of Steam Workshop.
Steam might need a stranglehold on the PC gaming marketplace for now, however Epic has additionally been making an attempt to chip away at its competitor’s grasps. Epic Video games Retailer, as an example, has been fairly enticing to builders because of the smaller lower that the storefront takes for every sale of a sport. Together with this, the corporate has additionally been repeatedly giving freely main titles without cost, whereas additionally funding the event of AAA video games like Alan Wake 2, the PC model of which stay unique to Epic Video games Retailer.
