Epic Games is a company started as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991 by Tim Sweeney in Rockville, Maryland (US). The same year the name was changed to Epic MegaGames, Inc. and the company became a world leader in developing and publishing shareware games. Epic's best-known creations include Epic Pinball, Jazz Jackrabbit, One Must Fall 2097 and Jill of the Jungle.
The biggest change for the company came in 1998 when the first-person shooter Unreal was released. It was the start of the Unreal series of shooters that ran until 2017. At the same time, the company started licensing the engine powering the games, various iterations of the Unreal Engine, used in a large range of titles. It put the company on the map next to id Software, Inc. as one of the most prominent engine development studios. In 1999, the studio received its current name, Epic Games, Inc.
In September 2006, the establishment of Epic Games China, Ltd. was announced. Based in Shanghai, it was set up to provide low-cost game asset outsourcing to both Epic and third parties. The studio currently goes by the name Yingpei Games.
In June 2012, the China-based Tencent Holdings Limited announced to have acquired a minority stake of 10% in the company. In September 2012 the establishment of a new Epic studio in Seattle was announced to work on the fourth version of the Unreal Engine.
Also in June 2012, the studio formed Epic Baltimore, later renamed Impossible Studios. The division was closed in February 2013.
The company released Fortnite in July 2017. After it became a cultural phenomenon, development of other games such as the Unreal Tournament reboot was abandoned, with all teams working on Fortnite, Unreal Engine or other services for external companies. On 6 December 2018, the company released the Epic Games Store as a competitor to other PC game storefronts.
Developed engines
Known subsidiaries
Names in italics used to be subsidiaries, but no longer are as they were closed or sold off.
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