Epic Games Launcher to Rebuild, Boost Boot Speed 5×

During Unreal Fest, Epic Games unveiled its comprehensive strategy to transform the Epic Games Store and its launcher over the next twelve months.

Epic divided the overhaul into three distinct phases. The first, highlighted in a series of screenshots shared by Reddit user LuKaOnIndeed, centers on a complete rearchitecture of the storefront and a private beta of the forthcoming Epic Games Launcher v2. It also introduces a suite of quality‑of‑life enhancements, including in‑store patch notes, cross‑region gifting, and a “chunked installation” feature for Fortnite.

After the beta, Epic plans to release the public version of Launcher v2, revamp the store’s design and user experience, add player profiles and avatars, enable user‑written reviews, and improve search functionality.

Looking further ahead, the roadmap hints at a multi‑platform store—possibly extending the Epic Games Store to Xbox’s Project Helix—alongside universal controller support and a comprehensive storefront redesign.

During the briefing, the company delved into technical details, but its most striking statement targeted the Epic Games Launcher itself. A slide boldly declared, “Every developer in this room and every player we have has experienced challenges with the current launcher – it’s time for a change.”

The announcement also revealed that the forthcoming version 2 of the Epic Games Launcher will feature a cold‑start time that is, on average, five times faster than its predecessor.

This isn’t the first time Epic has confronted criticism over its launcher. Earlier in February, Vice President and General Manager Steven Allison bluntly admitted the launcher “sucks” and pledged enhancements. “We got a lot of stuff out the door last year, and this year is going to be probably the best year for that stuff on the ‘big rocks,’” Allison told Eurogamer, acknowledging the launcher as a major pain point.

Players have been frustrated by the sluggish performance of the game, which refreshes its back‑end services every time a user clicks, causing noticeable delays that depend on the user’s internet speed. This lag has become a sore point, especially when compared to competitors that offer a smoother experience.

Allison revealed that the overhaul began late last year and involves a complete revamp of the core system: “We’re pulling the guts out and installing new ones.” She added that the revamp should make the game feel noticeably faster, with players exclaiming, “Holy shit, it doesn’t suck so much.” This improvement is expected to be a significant win for the team.