{"id":6090,"date":"2026-06-20T11:31:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T08:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/?p=6090"},"modified":"2026-06-20T11:33:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T08:33:06","slug":"epic-games-store-rebuild-launcher-v2-new-features-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/epic-games-store-rebuild-launcher-v2-new-features-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Epic Games Store Gets a Ground-Up Rebuild: Launcher V2, User Reviews, and Everything Coming in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic Games unveiled a 12-month roadmap at Unreal Fest Chicago 2026, detailing a ground-up rebuild of the Epic Games Store launcher with 5x faster cold starts, written user reviews, community spaces, player profiles, and a cross-platform library.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic Games Store is undergoing its most significant overhaul since launching in December 2018. At Unreal Fest Chicago, held June 16-18, 2026, Epic revealed a detailed 12-month roadmap that includes a complete architectural rebuild of the launcher, written user reviews, community spaces, player profiles, and a cross-platform library spanning PC and mobile. The store now hosts over 6,000 games from more than 3,000 developers, and third-party game spending rose 40 percent year-over-year in the first four months of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Is Epic Rebuilding the Launcher From Scratch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic Games Store GM Steve Allison did not mince words when he addressed the launcher&#8217;s shortcomings earlier this year. &#8220;The launcher sucks. Let&#8217;s call it what it is,&#8221; he told Eurogamer in February 2026. The core problem: the current client makes backend server calls every time a user clicks or navigates, causing noticeable lag even for basic tasks like opening the game library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work on what Epic internally calls Launcher V2 began in November 2025. The new architecture eliminates the constant server polling that makes the current client sluggish. According to presentation slides shared during Unreal Fest by Reddit user ImAnthlon, Launcher V2 achieves a cold start that is 5 times faster on average and restores from the system tray to the library 6.5 times faster. One slide stated bluntly: &#8220;Every developer in this room and every player we have has experienced challenges with the current launcher. It&#8217;s time for a change.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Full 12-Month Roadmap at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic organised its upcoming features into three priority tiers during the Unreal Fest presentation. Here is what was announced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Up First (immediate priorities):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Storefront rearchitecture<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Launcher V2 private beta<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In-store third-party patch notes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cross-region gifting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fortnite chunked installation (reducing download size)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pre-registration for free-to-play games<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Library management and storefront improvements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Epic parties (party chat system)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mid-term priorities:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Launcher V2 public release<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Written user reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Player profiles and avatars<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discovery and search improvements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publisher coupons<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Store design and UX overhaul<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Longer-term plans:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Third-party community spaces (forum-like features)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New open API tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Universal controller support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improved notifications and social discovery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Multi-platform store (potentially including Xbox&#8217;s Project Helix)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Written User Reviews: A Major Reversal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most notable announcements is the arrival of written user reviews. When Epic Games Store launched, it deliberately avoided Steam-style features like text reviews and forums. CEO Tim Sweeney stated in 2019 that the store would not have its own message boards. In 2022, Epic introduced a limited rating system that asks random users who have played a game for more than two hours to assign a star rating, but without any written component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Allison acknowledged that this system has been &#8220;fairly bulletproof&#8221; against review bombing, a phenomenon he specifically called out on Steam where mass negative reviews can &#8220;turn a game&#8217;s commercial outcomes upside down.&#8221; However, the demand for more detailed player feedback has clearly won out. Written reviews now appear in the mid-term roadmap, with Epic planning to use its trust and safety team for moderation rather than allowing an unfiltered free-for-all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Features: Community Spaces, Voice Chat, and Avatars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic has conceded that its social experience has been a weak point for years. The 2026 roadmap tackles this head-on with a layered rollout of social features. Text chat was already deployed across the Epic ecosystem at the start of 2026. The next phase, planned for Q2 2026, brings voice chat and game-independent parties, allowing players to group up and talk without needing to be in the same game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Player profiles and customisable avatars will replace the current placeholder initials in the social menu. Private messaging is also being added. Beyond these personal features, Epic is building community spaces around top games on the store, essentially a forum system where players can discuss games, share guides, and interact with developers. Allison told PC Gamer: &#8220;The first thing we&#8217;re going to explore is adding a forum and using our trust and safety team to moderate the forums.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These social capabilities will extend to Epic Online Services, meaning third-party developers will be able to integrate text chat directly into their games later in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cross-Platform Library and Regional Storefronts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the autumn of 2026, Epic plans to launch a cross-platform library linking PC and mobile game collections under a single account. This feature would allow players to manage their full game library regardless of device. Alongside this, regional storefronts with localised discovery will offer territory-specific browsing and content curation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Epic Games Store currently supports 43 currencies and 16 languages, with a mobile presence on Android worldwide and iOS in the European Union. The regional storefront expansion aims to make the browsing experience feel more native for players across different markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Epic Games Store Growth in Numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the State of Unreal keynote on June 17, Epic SVP Bill Clifford shared updated figures that paint a picture of a growing platform. The store now features over 6,000 games from more than 3,000 developers. Third-party game spending in the first four months of 2026 increased 40 percent year-over-year, partly driven by the 20 percent rewards boost promotion from late 2025 that kept players spending at elevated levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic&#8217;s developer incentive programmes continue to fuel this growth. Epic First Run lets developers keep 100 percent of net revenue for their first six months when launching exclusively on the store. Launch Everywhere with Epic reduces Unreal Engine royalties from 5 percent to 3.5 percent for developers who publish on the Epic Games Store simultaneously with other platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fortnite Integration and Developer Collaborations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Epic is weaving Fortnite more tightly into its store ecosystem. A cross-promotion programme now allows developers to offer themed Fortnite cosmetics to players who purchase or pre-order their games on the Epic Games Store. The collaboration with HoYoverse served as an early example. Clifford confirmed that over 30 such collaborations were completed in 2026, with more planned for 2027. Capcom, Pearl Abyss, S-Game, MintRocket, and Kakao Games are among the publishers participating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Performance Claims: A Note of Caution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the 5x and 6.5x speed improvements sound impressive, it is worth noting context. According to Frandroid&#8217;s analysis of Epic&#8217;s presentation materials, the benchmark tests were conducted on a workstation running an AMD Threadripper 32-core processor at 3.5 GHz, 128 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX A6000 professional GPU. That hardware configuration costs several thousand euros and is far from the average gaming PC. Real-world improvements for typical users may differ, though the architectural shift away from constant server polling should benefit all configurations to some degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does This Compare to Steam?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The feature list reads like a checklist of Steam capabilities that Epic has long lacked: user reviews, forums, player profiles, voice chat, community hubs, and robust library management. As Kotaku put it, Epic&#8217;s plan is essentially &#8220;copying Steam&#8217;s homework.&#8221; However, Epic&#8217;s approach includes deliberate differences. The moderated review system aims to prevent review bombing. Community spaces will be curated rather than open. And Epic Online Services remains designed for cross-platform interoperability in a way that Steamworks does not match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether these differences represent meaningful innovation or merely slower delivery of standard features will depend on execution. If Launcher V2 delivers on its performance promises and the social features work well, the Epic Games Store could become a genuinely competitive alternative rather than just a place to collect free weekly games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Questions Players Are Asking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When exactly will Launcher V2 be available to everyone?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The private beta is listed as an immediate priority. The public release sits in the mid-term tier. Based on earlier statements from Allison targeting a summer 2026 launch, a broad rollout could arrive in the second half of 2026, though no precise date has been confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will Epic Games Store keep giving away free games?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Allison has confirmed the free games programme will continue &#8220;for the foreseeable future.&#8221; The programme remains one of Epic&#8217;s primary user acquisition strategies, and over 100,000 gifts were sent through the store after the gifting feature launched in November 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will the new features work on mobile too?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of them will. The cross-platform library is explicitly designed for both PC and mobile. Social features including text chat, voice chat, and parties are being built as cross-platform from the start. Regional storefronts will also cover the mobile store experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I still use my existing Epic Games account after the update?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. The rebuild is an infrastructure and interface change, not an account reset. All existing purchases, library items, friends lists, and account data will carry over to Launcher V2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next 12 months will determine whether Epic Games Store can transform from a functional but limited storefront into a platform that genuinely competes with Steam on features, speed, and community. For gamers looking to buy or sell Epic Games accounts in the meantime, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/listings\/epic-games-account\">GamerMarkt&#8217;s Epic Games account marketplace<\/a> offers a secure platform for trading accounts with verified sellers and escrow-protected transactions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Epic Games unveiled a 12-month roadmap at Unreal Fest Chicago 2026, detailing a ground-up rebuild of the Epic Games Store launcher with 5x faster cold starts, written user reviews, community spaces, player profiles, and a cross-platform library.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[297],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epic-games"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6090"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6092,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6090\/revisions\/6092"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}