Black Friday is upon us in full force, and that means pretty much every digital storefront you care to name is having a big sale. The Epic Games Store is no exception, and for Black Friday it's once again brought back the Epic Coupon, which applies an automatic discount to every purchase you make. And this time, it's jacked up that discount amount to an impressive 33% off.
Epic's sales don't typically offer discounts on individual games that are as deep as those seen on Steam or GOG, both of which have their own seasonal sales currently underway. Instead, it throws in an across-the-board "digital coupon" that applies to eligible purchases (games, but not DLC or in-game items or currency) that cost $14.99 (or your local equivalent) or more. Everybody gets the coupon, and it automatically renews after use—it's effectively a standing discount for the duration of the sale.
In the past, Epic's coupons have granted 25% off, but for this Black Friday sale it's been pumped up to a 33% discount. That makes Epic the place to shop for at least some games. Payday 3, for instance, is 20% off in Steam's ongoing Autumn Sale, but not on sale at all on Epic—but the coupon knocks 33% off the regular price, making it a cheaper proposition. Starship Troopers: Extermination is 25% off on both storefronts, but Epic's coupon cuts another 33% off that, so again, it's cheaper. You get the idea.
It's not a universal win for Epic. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is regular price on the Epic Games Store, but 75% off on Steam and GOG—obviously one of those storefronts is the place to pick that one up. And in some cases it's just too close to call: Remnant 2 is 30% off on Steam right now, which makes it very slightly pricier than Epic, but you might find it worth an extra buck or two so you can add on to your Steam achievement collection.
Epic has also boosted its Epic Rewards program: It normally gives customers 5% of their eligible purchases back in the form of "rewards" that can be put toward future purchases, but for the duration of the Black Friday sale that's been increased to 10%. So if you buy a $50 game, you'll get a $5 credit you can put toward your next purchase.
Ultimately, unless you're committed to using one storefront only and prices be damned, it means you'll need to do a little more digging to ensure you're getting the best bottom-line deal. But particularly for newer releases like, say, The Talos Principle 2, which isn't on sale on Steam or Epic (and which I mention because I am very much enjoying it), you'll get 33% off the regular price if you buy it on the Epic Store, making it roughly $20, and then a $2 kickback to blow on something else. All told, that's not nothing.
The Epic Game Store's Black Friday sale is live now and runs until November 28.
