Battle.net leader joins Epic to revamp their store

In the fierce competition for PC gaming dominance, where Steam reigns supreme, the Epic Games Store continues to face the uphill battle of gaining true traction among gamers. Despite significant financial investment, the store has yet to decisively shift the landscape, often finding itself in a perpetual race against its market leader.

To inject fresh energy and strategic direction into this competitive environment, Epic Games made a bold move: they brought in an experienced hand from the competitive ecosystem. They hired Martin Keely, a former leader from Blizzard’s Battle.net platform, to lead the charge as the new VP and General Manager of the Epic Games Store.

Keely brings a deep well of institutional knowledge. For seven years, he was instrumental in steering Battle.net, a launcher that, while never reached Steam’s sheer scale, maintained an undeniable reputation among PC players for massive titles like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.

This strategic appointment signals more than just a personnel change; it reflects a commitment to a full overhaul. Epic’s plans for the storefront included a comprehensive revamp of its launcher and a detailed roadmap for near-term and long-term feature updates designed to elevate the overall player, creator, and developer experience.

The decision to bring in Keely aligns perfectly with these ambitious goals. His mandate is not simply to manage the store but to shape an open and sustainable gaming ecosystem, leveraging deep platform knowledge to maximize the potential of the community.

While some observers suggest that even a complete overhaul may not be enough to dislodge Steam’s established dominance, bringing in expertise from a platform that once defined PC multiplayer culture offers Epic Games a unique opportunity. It is a calculated gamble—a strategic attempt to infuse the store with the operational DNA needed to truly compete and carve out its own defining space in the rapidly evolving world of PC gaming.

By Mason Carter