Epic Games has released a redesigned version of its Epic Games Launcher, claiming the AI-developed software is significantly faster than Steam. The new launcher is now available in Preview for Windows, macOS, and Linux, giving PC gamers an early look at the company’s revamped storefront.

Announced on 14 October, the launcher was rebuilt from the ground up using vibe coding, a software development practice that uses plain language to an AI assistant rather than writing code line-by-line. Epic Games jokingly said in its announcement that “programming is hard”.

We vibe coded the Epic Games Launcher to be faster than the other guy.

Don’t believe us? Test it out for yourself in Preview:
https://t.co/pdtAeEIri4 https://t.co/aMxojUUVPV

---

Follow us on Twitter Follow @GamerBraves and Tweet us Tweet to @GamerBraves

---

— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) October 14, 2026

The company says the new version offers faster startup times, more responsive navigation, and a redesigned interface. According to Epic’s published benchmarks, the new launcher takes an average of 5.47 seconds to launch from a cold start and reach the store page, compared with 10.07 seconds for Steam. This represents a 46% improvement in startup time, based on the company’s comparison.

Epic’s new launcher also introduces a redesigned library with grid and details views, game collections, additional filters, and the ability to hide titles. Players can also add shortcuts to games installed through Steam and other launchers.

Other improvements include a download manager, easier access to recently played games, and integrated party and voice chat features across Fortnite, the Epic Games Store, and the Epic Games app.

The Preview release marks the first time Epic has officially offered its launcher on Linux, alongside Windows and macOS. The company has also expressed plans to bring Fortnite to Linux, although that work remains separate from the launcher’s availability.

Despite the performance improvements, Epic warns that the Preview build is still a work in progress and may contain bugs. Some features available in the existing launcher are also missing from the new version. For now, Epic is inviting players to test the software and provide feedback before a more complete, stable release.