Epic Games has appointed former Blizzard executive Martin Keely as the new vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store and Epic Online Services, putting a Battle.net veteran in charge while Valve’s Steam continues to dominate PC game sales and player activity.
Keely spent seven years at Blizzard and most recently served as the senior vice president responsible for the Battle.net launcher. He takes over a role previously held by Steve Allison, who left Epic in July for a position at Saber Interactive.
Keely confirmed the move in a LinkedIn post, where he said he was looking forward to working on new features for players, creators, and developers. He also described the opportunity as a chance to support an “open and sustainable gaming ecosystem.”
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney also announced Keely’s appointment in a July 27 post, describing the company’s next phase as “Team Open” and saying it would connect platforms, stores, engines, and ecosystems. That places Keely’s new responsibilities over both the storefront and the online services that support Epic’s broader platform strategy.
Welcome Martin Keely, new GM of Epic Games Store and Epic Online Services as we head into the era of Unreal Engine 6 and Team Open linking up to make everything work across platforms, stores, engines, and ecosystems! https://t.co/Kz2vAanLoc
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 27, 2026
Looking back at Blizzard, Keely said he learned something new every day and felt proud of the work done to grow Battle.net and deliver record results for the platform. His experience running one of PC gaming’s largest launchers gives him a clear connection to the problems Epic now needs to address.
Epic needs more than free games to close the gap
The Epic Games Store has built much of its audience through regular free-game promotions, but that has not translated into the same level of store loyalty enjoyed by Steam. Epic previously acknowledged that only a minority of players who claim free games later make purchases through the store.
Keely’s arrival also comes as Epic continues to discuss a longer-term vision for a more connected gaming ecosystem. During the June 2026 State of Unreal event, Sweeney returned to an idea he first discussed at SIGGRAPH 2016: a gaming ecosystem modeled after the open web. In that vision, developers could run their own servers, host their own content, and let players move between experiences with their digital belongings. Sweeney’s remarks are available in the State of Unreal presentation.
Sweeney said Unreal Engine could eventually remove barriers between games and support a more interoperable ecosystem. Keely’s experience with Battle.net gives Epic an executive who has run a large online gaming service as the company works toward that broader goal, though Epic has not said which specific features or services will change first.
Keely’s announcement did not provide a public roadmap for the Epic Games Store or Epic Online Services. Still, placing a former Battle.net leader in the top store role points to a focus on the day-to-day platform experience rather than another short-term promotion.
Epic has spent years challenging Steam over developer policies, revenue sharing, and store features. Turning those arguments into a stronger alternative for PC players will require more than criticism of Valve’s decisions. It will also require a storefront that keeps players coming back after they claim a free game, along with online services capable of supporting Epic’s more ambitious ecosystem plans.
For now, Keely’s appointment is the clearest sign that Epic is preparing a new phase for its PC storefront and online platform. The company has not yet shared details about upcoming changes, so the first concrete signs will likely come through future store updates and announcements.
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