In many aspects, the Epic Games Store is a comparable or even superior alternative to other popular video game digital distribution platforms like Steam; however, it is still missing several crucial features that make its rivals successful. One such feature, in particular, is the ability to gift games to other users.
Indeed, the majority of Epic Games fans do not come to the platform seeking to socialize with their peers, and, in that way, EGS’ not having the gifting functionality is an acceptable state of affairs for them. But even these people can’t deny that, sometimes, being able to buy a PC game and send it directly to another user who can start playing it right away is hugely convenient. Alas, Epic users do not currently have that chance.
No Gifting Games via the Epic Games Store
Although you will have a great time on the Epic Games Store, looking for exciting titles to add to your growing collection, there is no point in trying to buy a game as a present for your friend as you simply will not be able to gift it. EGS does not support the gifting functionality, so any game you buy and download is immediately linked to your Epic account and is only for you to play.
Giving your login credentials to another person to enter your Epic account and play the game is a possible workaround – but not a very efficient or safe one – as you won’t be able to access your games when someone else is playing them under your name. Besides, it is against Epic’s rules and comes with a risk of having your account info stolen, hacked, or changed.
While nothing can be done for the moment, the developer plans to introduce the gifting feature to its Launcher in the future. In the meanwhile, if you wish to gift someone a video game, your only options are to buy it from some other store, purchase CDKeys, or give its cost directly to the person and have them buy the game themselves.
Is It Possible to Change Your Username on the Epic Games Store?
Changing your Epic Games username might get tricky, especially if we are talking consoles. Still, it is not just possible – you are allowed to swap your current name for something else as often as every two weeks! Here is how to change epic games name on the official website:
- Visit the Epic Games site and sign into your account.
- Go to the Profile link => Account => Account Info => Display Name box.
- Hit the Edit icon next to the ‘Display Name’ box to enter a new name.
- Check the ‘I Understand’ box and press Confirm.
If you are using the PC or Mac app to change your Epic username, the steps for that are almost identical to the above algorithm:
- Log in via the app and navigate to the Profile link.
- Select ‘Account’ from the drop-down menu.
- From here, you will be taken to the Epic Games official website and continue taking the steps we have described earlier.
If a mobile device user wishes to change their Epic Games name on a smartphone or tablet, they can only do so via their browser, which means the steps will be the same as what has already been explained.
The journey for a console user will be different for two reasons. First, it will not always be free of charge, and secondly, the user will likely have to adjust their Sony or Microsoft account settings since their Epic game name is originally linked with these profiles.
We Can Only Hope That the Gifting Feature Will Be Added
If you’re looking to send a gift to a fellow gamer on the Epic Games Store, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the store does not currently support gifting of games to other users. This is a shame, as it would be a great way to show your appreciation for someone’s gaming skills or simply to show them that you’re thinking of them. Hopefully, Epic Games will add this feature in the future, as it would make the store a more user-friendly and fun place to shop for games.