Gaming & Interactive Entertainment·Class of 2026
Epic Games won 2026 UX100 gaming by keeping three products related
UX100 · 1 October 2026
Epic Games leads gaming and interactive entertainment for 2026. A store, a game, and a creation tool stay distinct, and a player and a creator are not designed as strangers.
One account, three rooms
The failure in this category is a store wearing a game, or an engine that feels like it belongs to another company. Epic holds Fortnite, the store, and Unreal in a family. They share identity. They do not share a single crowded layout.
The 2026 award is for that family resemblance with boundaries. Related is not the same as merged.
The launcher has to get out of the way
A player wants the game. A creator wants the tool and, later, the audience. Epic’s interface lets those be different doors on the same account. The launcher is a shelf, not a billboard that cannot be dismissed.
Gaming UX in 2026 was often the store. Epic won by designing the game, the shelf, and the tool as connected and separate.
Roblox and Rockstar
Roblox led 2025 as a place to play, make, and meet inside one client. Rockstar led 2024 on the world itself. Epic’s 2026 piece is the relationship between a live game, a store, and a creation tool.
Questions about this award
Did Epic Games win a UX100 award in 2026?
Yes. Epic Games is the gaming and interactive entertainment leader for 2026.
Is the award only for Fortnite?
No. UX100 recognized the relationship between Fortnite, the store, and Unreal: one account, distinct interfaces, so a player and a creator are not strangers.