Epic Games hires former Battle.net lead to overhaul its store

Despite funnelling tons of money into it, the Epic Games Store has continued to fail to win over PC gamers, many of which still prefer Steam. Blizzard's Battle.net platform never had that same issue, so it feels significant that Epic Games has now hired a former Battle.net lead as part of a renewed push to improve the Epic Games Store. 

First spotted by GamesRadar, Martin Keely has joined Epic as the new VP and general manager of the Epic Games Store, replacing Steve Allison, who departed the company earlier this summer. Keely spent seven years at Blizzard leading Battle.net, a launcher that, while never rivaling Steam in scale, maintained a strong reputation among PC players for titles like World of Warcraft, Diablo and Overwatch.

In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, Keely said he is “excited to get started with the team delivering new capabilities that elevate player, creator and developer experiences,” adding that he is grateful for the opportunity to help shape “an open and sustainable gaming ecosystem.”

This lines up well with previous plans that Epic Games announced earlier this year, including an overhaul of the Epic Games Store, and a roadmap for near-term and long-term feature updates.

KitGuru Says: Epic has tried many strategies to boost the Epic Games Store, but none have significantly shifted Steam’s dominance. An overhaul could do the trick, but I still don't foresee a scenario where players leave Steam behind in droves. 

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