Epic Games has appointed former Blizzard executive Martin Keely as the new vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store, 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.”
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 does not come with a public roadmap for the Epic Games Store. His announcement also did not explain which parts of the storefront he plans to change. 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.
For now, Keely’s appointment is the clearest sign that Epic is preparing a new phase for its PC storefront. 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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