Overview

Introduction to Epic Games Store, Epic Online Services (EOS), Kids Web Services (KWS), and their associated tools.

4 mins to read

Epic's developer resources include a set of free services and tools which software developers can use to add network-based functionality to video games, and storefront distribution for video games.

There are three sets of resources:

  • Epic Games Store (storefront distribution and games-store services)
  • Epic Online Services (EOS)
  • Kids Web Services (KWS)

The sets of resources have associated tools to configure and manage them with your game: the Epic Games Developer Portal (known as the "Developer Portal"), the KWS Developer Portal, SDKs and APIs.

Epic developer resources product map

Epic developer resources product map. (Click to see larger.)

Modular
The resources are modular, so you can use them individually, or combine as many as you need.

Platform Agnostic
Epic Online Services (EOS) and Kids Web Services (KWS) are games-platform agnostic and games-engine agnostic. You can add them to your game whatever games platform your game clients run on, and whatever game engine you use for development, or if you use no game engine at all.
They are also storefront agnostic, so you can use them whatever storefront you make your game available on.
(Note that Epic Games Store's storefront distribution and games-store services are for games which run on PC: Windows or macOS.)

Epic Games Store

Storefront Distribution

The Epic Games Store is a storefront for players to buy and download games which run on PC: Windows or macOS. You can configure your storefront presence and distribute your games on the Epic Games Store using the Epic Games Store publishing tools.

Documentation:

Epic Games Store Services

You can use Epic Games Store Services to integrate online services functionality into your game, including e-commerce, cloud saves, Epic Games Launcher invites, mods, and Epic Games Store achievements.

Documentation:

Note:
While EOS is games-platform agnostic, Epic Games Store is a storefront for players to buy and download games which run on PC only: Windows and macOS. The game-store services also run on PC only: Windows and macOS.

Tools

Developer Portal
Configure your game on the Epic Games Store and access Epic Online Services (EOS).
(See below for information.)

Epic Online Services (EOS)

Epic Online Services (EOS) are split into two subsets: EOS Game Services and EOS Epic Account Services.

EOS Game Services

Free services to enhance your game, including voice chat, achievements, matchmaking, live ops, and more. EOS Game Services enable you to build and integrate online functionality into your game. You can set up your game to use Games Services without any requirement for your players to have an Epic Games account.

Documentation:

EOS Epic Account Services

Free services which connect players with their friends across multiple platforms and storefronts. EOS Epic Account Services provide player accounts. Use Epic Account Services to tap into an ecosystem of over 500 million players across multiple platforms and stores.

Documentation:

Social Features, Authorization, and Purchasing (on Desktop)
You must integrate the EOS Overlay with your game to use these features. For more information, see the SDK Integration documentation.

Tools

Developer Portal
Configure your game on the Epic Games Store and access Epic Online Services (EOS).
(See below for information.)

EOS SDK and API
Use the EOS SDK's API in C and C# to integrate EOS Games Services and EOS Epic Account Services into your game on multiple platforms, including PC, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and Switch.

Documentation:

EOS Web API
Use the Web API to integrate some EOS Games Services and EOS Epic Account Services into your game. The Web API covers anti-cheat, authentication, connect, player reports, sanctions, ownership verification (Ecom) and voice services.

Documentation:

Note:
Both EOS Game Services and EOS Epic Account Services require you to use the EOS SDK APIs or the EOS Web API.

Kids Web Services (KWS)

Use this parent-verification platform to create safe and legally-compliant digital experiences for young audiences. Kids Web Services (KWS) has its own services, tools and APIs. These are:

  • KWS Parent Verification service
  • KWS Developer Portal
  • KWS API

Note:
The KWS Developer Portal and the Epic Games Developer Portal ("the Developer Portal") provide different and unrelated services. They do not have the same URL.

Documentation:

Developer Portal

The Epic Games Developer Portal (“the Developer Portal”) is a browser-based UI to configure services for your organization and game, as well as Epic Games Store distribution for your game.
You can configure your game’s setup for:

  • The Epic Game Store:
    • Storefront distribution.
    • Epic Games Store services.
  • Epic Online Services (EOS):
    • EOS Game Services - including achievements, leaderboards, and player data storage.
    • EOS Epic Account Services - including brand settings and game-client setup (client policy).

You can also view analytics for all your games, and access the EOS SDK and its release notes.

Note:
The Epic Games Developer Portal ("the Developer Portal") and the KWS Developer Portal provide different and unrelated services. They do not have the same URL.

Documentation and links: