Epic Games
Formerly Name:
Potomac Computer Systems (1991-1992)
Epic MegaGames, Inc. (1992-1999)
Company Profile: N/A
Company Type:: Private Company
Parent Company: N/A
Headquarters: Cary, North Caroline, USA
Founded: 1991
Founder: Tim Sweeney
Fate: Active
Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. Following its first commercial video game release, ZZT (1991), the company became Epic MegaGames, Inc. in early 1992 and brought on Mark Rein. Rein has been the vice president since 1992. In 1999, the studio moved its headquarters to Cary and then changed its name to Epic Games.
Epic Games develops Unreal Engine, a commercially available game engine which also powers their internally developed video games like Fortnite and the Unreal, Gears of War, and Infinity Blade series. In 2014, Unreal Engine was named the "most successful videogame engine" by Guinness World Records.
Epic Games owns the game developers Chair Entertainment, Psyonix,
Mediatonic, and Harmonix, as well as cloud-based software developer Cloudgine, and operates studios in Seattle, England, Berlin, Yokohama and Seoul. While Sweeney remains the controlling shareholder, Tencent acquired a 48.4% outstanding stake, equating to 40% of total Epic, in the company in 2012, as part of an agreement aimed at moving Epic towards a games as a service model. Following the release of the popular Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017, the company gained additional investments that enabled to expand its Unreal Engine offerings, establish esport events around Fortnite, and launch the Epic Games Store.
On April 19, 2023, Epic acquired Brazilian studio Aquiris and changed its name to Epic Games Brasil, with intention to be used in Fortnite.
Wikipedia contributors. "Epic Games." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 31 Jan. 2024.
Company Structure
Divisions:
Epic Games Australia
Founded: 2018
Epic Games Brasil
Founded: 2007
Acquired 2023
Epic Games China
Founded: 2006
Epic Games Germany
Founded: 2016
Epic Games Japan
Founded: 2010
Epic Games Korea
Founded: 2009
Epic Games Montreal
Founded: 2018
Epic Games Publishing
Founded: 2020
Epic Games Seattle
Founded: 2012
Epic Games Stockholm
Founded: 2018
Epic Games San Francisco
Founded: 2012
Epic Games UK
Founded: 2014
Subsidiaries:
3Lateral: Motion capture digitization
Founded: 2008
Acquired: 2019
Agog Labs: Software development
Founded: 2013
Acquired: 2019
Fate: Moved internally to Epic Games
ArtStation: Professional artist marketplace
Founded: 2014
Acquired: 2021
Bandcamp:
Founded: 2008
Acquired: 2022
Fate: Sold to Songtradr
Capturing Reality: Photogrammetry software
Founded: 2015
Acquired: 2021
Chair Entertainment:
Founded: 2005
Acquired: 2008
Fate: Closed
Cloudgine: Software development
Founded: 2012
Acquired: 2018
Fate: Moved internally to Epic Games
Cubic Motion: Facial animation
Founded: 2009
Acquired: 2020
Harmonix: Music game developer
Founded: 1995
Acquired: 2021
Hyprsense: Software development
Founded: 2015
Acquired: 2020
Fate: Moved internally to Epic Games
Impossible Studios:
Founded: 2012
Acquired: -
Fate: Closed
Kamu: Software development
Founded: 2013
Acquired: 2018
Fate: Moved internally to Epic Games
Life on Air: Software development
Founded: 2012
Acquired: 2019
Fate: Moved internally to Epic Games
People Can Fly (Epic Games Poland):
Founded: 2002
Acquired: 2012 (Epic Games Poland)
Fate: Sold to management
Psyonix: Video game development
Founded: 2000
Acquired: 2019
Quixel: Photogrammetry assets
Founded: 2011
Acquired: 2019
Epic Game Tools (RAD Games Tools): Game middleware
Founded: 1988 (RAD Games Tools)
Acquired: 2021
Fate: Moved internally to Epic Games
Sketchfab: 3D model marketplace
Founded: 2012
Acquired: 2021
SuperAwesome:
Founded: 2013
Acquired: 2020
Fate: Spun off
Tonic Games Group: Video game development
Founded: 2005
Acquired: 2021
Key People:
Tim Sweeney (chief executive officer)
Kim Libreri (chief technical officer)
Mark Rein (vice president)
Adam Sussman (president)
Donald Mustard (chief creative officer)