Overview
- Epic published a public preview of the redesigned Epic Games Launcher on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and made the build available for Windows, macOS and, for the first time, official Linux support.
- Company leaders say they used generative AI agents to write and review much of the new launcher's code while Epic engineers supervised and managed the process, according to Martin Keely and Epic’s announcements.
- Epic claims the preview boots to the store in 5.47 seconds versus Steam’s 10.07 seconds, a roughly 46% improvement based on tests Epic commissioned from Keywords Studios that averaged multiple runs and excluded low-end machines.
- The preview adds a redesigned library, connected-library support, improved search and a new download manager but is light on features, expected to have bugs, and Epic advises competitive players and some developers to keep using the old client during the preview.
- The release follows CEO Tim Sweeney’s declaration of a companywide shift to “maximum AI acceleration,” and Epic says it is rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat to enable Fortnite on Linux, a move that raises questions about maintainability and security as AI code workflows expand.