Free on Epic, Paid on Steam: New Blood CEO Says Blood West Steam Sales Jumped 200 Percent During EGS Giveaway
New Blood Interactive co founder and chief executive officer Dave Oshry has built a reputation for sharing blunt and occasionally very actionable industry insights on X. In a fresh example of that, Oshry says making a game free on the Epic Games Store can function as high impact advertising that drives measurable sales on Steam, even when players could have claimed the title at zero cost elsewhere.
In response to a meme about players preferring to buy on Steam rather than claim free games on Epic, Oshry pointed to a real performance spike tied to his X profile discussion. The game in question is Blood West, an indie first person shooter published by New Blood Interactive. Blood West was free on Epic Games Store on December 20, 2025 as part of Epic’s annual holiday giveaway cadence, and Oshry says that same day the game sold roughly 200 percent more on Steam.
I used to think EGS was a Marketing Black Hole but turns out having your game be free on Epic is great advertising for Steam sales! pic.twitter.com/yDefeTKuXq
— Dave NewBlood (@DaveOshry) January 16, 2026
Oshry’s takeaway is simple: he previously viewed Epic Games Store as a marketing black hole, but the free game promotion effectively acted as a funnel that increased Steam visibility and conversion. For developers and publishers, this reframes the Epic giveaway not as a competitor cannibalizing sales, but as a top of funnel distribution lever that can push players toward their preferred platform.
Oshry also added important context about how the economics worked for this specific deal. When a game is made free on Epic Games Store, Epic typically pays an upfront lump sum to cover the giveaway period. Oshry says New Blood did not take royalties from Epic in this case, allowing Hyperstrange to receive 100 percent of the Epic payout. That funding is reportedly being reinvested into development for new Blood West DLC, while New Blood simultaneously benefited from the Steam sales lift.
He underscored the platform adoption reality with a line that will resonate with a lot of indie teams: Epic can offer developers 100 percent revenue share, but if players are not buying there, it does not move the needle. In other words, distribution without demand is still zero.
This aligns with a broader narrative that has been building for years: Steam is not just a storefront, it is the default social layer for PC gaming. Wishlists, reviews, workshop culture, friends lists, and the broader discovery flywheel make it the place where people want their library to live. Epic’s giveaways can create awareness, but Steam often captures the purchase because that is where the player’s identity and community already sit.
And yes, if you are tracking this week’s free game chatter, you can currently claim both Styx Master of Shadows and Styx Shards of Darkness at no cost on Epic, which will likely add more fuel to the ongoing Steam versus Epic debate.
If you are an indie publisher, the strategic play is clear: treat Epic giveaways as a visibility amplifier, then ensure your Steam presence is optimized to convert that attention. That means a clean store page, strong capsule art, a tight trailer, review momentum, and a discount window that catches players while the buzz is peaking.
What do you do when a game is free on Epic: claim it there, or still buy it on Steam to keep everything in one place?
