Investments from Epic greatly helped the studio, but Steam helped the game gain popularity.
Adrian Chmielarz, one of the creators of Painkiller and Bulletstorm, in a recent interview talked about the differences between the Steam and Epic Games Store platforms, as well as how temporary exclusivity for EGS helped his studio The Astronauts survive and improve the game Witchfire.
Investments from Epic helped The Astronauts refine and improve Witchfire.
It was beneficial for everyone: Epic got an exclusive for a year, and Steam players got a more complete version with new features and improvements.
After its release on Steam in 2024, Witchfire gained popularity: the game surpassed the 500,000 copies sold mark, and the number of additions to wishlists, according to some data, reached about 1.7 million.
Despite his gratitude to Epic, Chmielarz understands why many gamers prefer Steam and avoid EGS. The Valve platform is not only more convenient and offers more opportunities for buyers, but has also become a "home" for many players.
People don't perceive EGS as their home. There are no reviews, forums — nothing but goods. EGS will always lose to a store with which you can also interact, getting emotions.
According to the developer, Steam is a real community with hubs for each game, where there are forums, guides, arts, workshop, comments and much more.
