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The competition between Steam and the Epic store has been going on for years, as Steam relies on seniority, stability, and building a huge community, while Epic bets on strong offers and attractive profit ratios for developers, but this time the talk came from inside one of the studios that dealt with both platforms together.
In a new interview, Witchfire developer Adrian Chmielarz of The Astronauts talked about the fundamental differences between the two stores from an actual developer’s perspective.
Chmielarz explained that the preference of a large segment of gamers for the Steam platform is completely understandable, emphasizing that it’s not just about the purchase, but about a sense of belonging. For many, Steam is not just a digital store, but an ecosystem, a permanent home for games, community, and experiences accumulated over the years.
The developer expressed his gratitude to Epic, noting that their financial and investment support enabled the team to continue developing Witchfire without the pressure of an early launch, giving the studio time to refine the experience, optimize systems, and add content that would not have been possible if the game had to be released quickly.
Chmielarz considered that the temporary exclusivity agreement with Epic was a win-win for all parties: Epic got a year-long exclusive, the team got funding and freedom of development, and Steam players received a more complete version of the game with clear technical and experiential improvements and additional polished content.
After Witchfire’s release on Steam in 2024, the game was a huge success, with sales exceeding 500,000 copies and 1.7 million additions to wishlists, reflecting the high level of interest in the game after its development was completed.
Chmielarz’s statements paint a realistic picture of the competition between Steam and Epic, where the former has community loyalty and a long history and the latter gives developers financial opportunities that may make the difference between a rushed game and a mature game.
