Epic Launcher – Epic is working on a ground-up Launcher V2 rebuild aimed at fixing long-running complaints about speed and usability, including claims of major improvements during cold starts and when returning from the system tray. The update roadmap also points to player pr
For years. Epic Games has been trying to pry PC gamers away from Steam—free games. exclusivity deals. and major launches like Borderlands 3. Assassin’s Creed Mirage. and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria arriving without Valve’s storefront at launch. Epic built an audience that way. But the Epic Games Store still hasn’t toppled Steam’s hold over day-to-day PC gaming.
Now the fight may move to the one area players have complained about for a long time: the launcher itself. Earlier this year, an Epic executive told Eurogamer that the launcher “sucks.” The company is apparently preparing a bigger change than a coat of paint.
New slides from an Unreal Fest presentation—shared on X by LuKaOnIndeed—say Epic is developing “Launcher V2. ” a ground-up rebuild intended to be much faster and easier to use. The company reportedly told developers Launcher V2 would be five times faster during an average cold start. It also claims a 6.5 times speed boost when the launcher is restored from the system tray.
That’s the kind of promise that matters most because it targets the moments players notice instantly: waiting for the app to wake up, then feeling how heavy and awkward it can be compared with Steam.
Epic’s roadmap points to more than raw speed. LuKaOnIndeed’s X thread also says Epic has confirmed faster game download speeds are coming in the future—another complaint that has hovered over the launcher experience.
There’s even a potential structural shift. LuKaOnIndeed claims the new Epic Games Store “won’t be built on Unreal Engine anymore. ” adding that Epic “realized how bad of an idea it was.” If that’s accurate. it helps explain why Epic is describing the project as a deeper rebuild instead of a surface-level update.
The store side is also getting features players have asked for. The roadmap mentions in-store patch notes, player reviews, quick-access categories, and a personalized home page. LuKaOnIndeed also pointed to player profiles showing a banner. a level. a bio. and achievements. along with games. favorite games. top played. “playing now. ” last played. and more.
Universal controller support appears to be on the list too, along with deeper ties to Fortnite. Epic hasn’t said what those connections will look like, but the direction is clear: the storefront is trying to feel less like a basic catalog and more like a hub.
Epic has not announced a public release date. The roadmap shown during the presentation points to a private beta first, followed by a wider release later.
A faster launcher is the headline because it directly attacks the friction that turns casual visits into delays. But the feature list suggests Epic wants players to do more inside the ecosystem—not just buy games. but manage them. review them. track activity. and come back. Whether that combination is enough to narrow the gap with Steam may come down to the timing of the private beta—and how quickly the new experience proves the speed claims on real machines. for real people.
Epic Games Store Epic launcher Launcher V2 Unreal Fest PC gaming Steam competitor game download speeds system tray player profiles patch notes player reviews Fortnite ties controller support