Epic's rebuilt launcher has entered preview with native Linux support and a claimed 1.8x startup advantage over Steam. The benchmark was commissioned by Epic, and some features are still missing.
Keywords Studios ran Epic's launcher tests in October 2026 at the company's request. The results put Epic's new client ahead of Steam on several measured tasks, though the sample was limited to 13 machines.
Epic released the rebuilt launcher in preview on October 14, 2026. Windows and macOS are supported, and Linux support is new. The company calls this a preview, not a final replacement. Some features from the existing launcher are absent, and that older version will remain available while Epic develops the new client.
Speed claims under test
Epic reports a cold launch time of 5.47 seconds, compared with 10.07 seconds for Steam, a claimed 1.8x advantage. The Store opens three times faster, according to the company. Moving from the background to the library takes 0.36 seconds, versus Steam's 0.42 seconds. Epic also says the library loads 30 times faster.
Keywords Studios averaged five runs on each of the 13 machines. The three lowest-end systems were excluded from the cold-start calculation. These results describe that particular test, not every PC configuration. Epic has not shown how the comparison holds up across a broader range of hardware or everyday use.
The rebuild targets a familiar complaint about the old launcher. Epic says it built the client from scratch to improve startup and navigation, while reducing the system load it creates in the background. The benchmark is central to the company's case for replacing the old software.
A redesigned game library
The preview gives games dedicated pages. These show activity and status, with details and add-ons available on the same page. Play controls are there too.
Players can connect other PC libraries to see their owned games together. They can also sort titles into collections or hide them. The library offers grid and Details views, while a customisable top bar can hold favourite games and apps.
Search results filter as users type. Sorting is available by platform or genre, with other criteria also supported. The download manager groups active and queued downloads. Scheduled transfers and failed downloads appear there as well. It shows live download speed, with read and write speeds displayed separately.
Parties and voice chat work across Fortnite. They are also available in the Epic Games Store and the Epic Games app.
Some existing features have not made the move. Epic says social functions and account-management options are missing. It recommends that competitive Fortnite and Rocket League players stay on the current launcher. Developers working on live projects should do the same during the preview.
The new client can transfer installed games and settings from the old version. It can also move cloud-save data.
Epic Games Store general manager Martin Keely described the release to GamesBeat as a preview "in lieu of a beta." Epic expects the legacy launcher to remain until the new version reaches stability and functional parity. The company has not set a shutdown date.
Epic has called the rebuild "vibe coded," a deliberately flippant label. The description arrives amid founder and CEO Tim Sweeney's stated push to retool Epic for maximum AI acceleration. The launcher appears to be an early visible result of that shift, but the announcement does not detail which tools were used or how the work was divided.
NGB has also covered a GTA V PC mod that adds path tracing. That mod changes graphics within a game. Epic's rebuild changes the software players use to find and manage PC games.
Linux support and Fortnite
Epic lists Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer as supported. Fedora 43 or newer is on the list too. Debian 12 or newer is also supported. Other distributions may work, but Epic does not list them as tested configurations.
The stated hardware requirements include a 64-bit x86-64 system and a dual-core processor running at 2GHz or faster. The launcher also needs at least 2GB of free storage. The macOS preview supports Apple Silicon only.
Running the launcher natively on Linux does not make every game in its catalogue Linux-compatible. The app does not automatically translate Windows game builds into Linux versions. A compatibility layer can help some Windows software run, but support still depends on each title and its technical requirements.
Fortnite is not available on Linux through this preview. Epic is updating Easy Anti-Cheat for the game and working with Linux distribution maintainers on security requirements. Engineering director Rick Deist told GamesBeat that the launcher will not work on every distribution: Epic is targeting a set of security features supported by many distributions, but not all of them.
Epic has described a "critical mass" of participating distribution maintainers as a condition for bringing Fortnite to Linux. It has announced no release date. The company says it intends to make the anti-cheat improvements available to other developers.
