Promising up to 75% off store titles, plus an additional US$10 (RM41.82) discount, the Epic Games Store has launched its first sale, getting the jump on PC rival Steam by a full month.

Running from May 16 to June 13, the Epic Mega Sale offers up to 75% off participating store titles, an extra US$10 (RM41.82) off those whose sale price remains above US$14.99 (RM62.69).

The existence of a sale had been leaked in a Fortnite graphic earlier last week and by going live, the Epic Mega Sale arrives a month ahead of the traditional late June event held by PC gaming rival Steam.

Just as the Epic Games Store has its roots in the success of Fortnite, Steam grew out of Counter-Strike and Half-Life 2, using the deep discounts associated with seasonal sales to attract more and more users to its platform.

Epic, however, leaning on the billions in revenue derived from mobile, console and computer game Fortnite, has been establishing its own Games Store with preferential rates for developers and publishers, and giveaways of high profile games every two weeks, as well as exclusivity deals.

Thus, the start of the Mega Sale coincides with a giveaway of Stories Untold, a recent and well received four-part horror mystery that jacked into 1980s nostalgia surrounding hit TV thriller Stranger Things.

Unfortunately, the sale's US$10 extra discount is for core games only and does not encompass add-ons, virtual items, or expansions, so it can't be used to purchase season passes or virtual currency for Fortnite.

However, a grace period is being applied to games bought in the fortnight before the sale (May 2 to May 15), with Epic refunding the difference between prices paid and Mega Sale prices.

In these ways, Epic appears to be adding its own significant financial weight to the sale, wagering that it will bring in enough future paying customers to make the venture worthwhile.

Even so, the store's first sail has not been entirely trouble-free.

Several titles have been pulled from not just the sale but the store as a whole, for the time being, with Eurogamer citing disappearances of highly anticipated EGS exclusive Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (2020), Early Access graduate Oxygen Not Included (May 29), and a swift price adjustment for Hades. – AFP Relaxnews