Epic Games Store Revamp Promises Up to 5x Faster Launch Speeds

Epic Games has been working on enhancing its Epic Games Store (EGS) to better compete with Steam, and the upcoming Epic Games Launcher version 2 will bring significant performance improvements to the desktop application. According to the latest rumors, EGS Launcher v2 will be 5 to 6.5 times faster than the current launcher. This aims to attract more users with a substantial redesign of the storefront, both architecturally and visually. It should open about five times faster on a cold start, while returning from the system tray to the library could be roughly 6.5 times quicker on average. For players who have grown accustomed to waiting on menus and slow page loads, this may be the most meaningful change.

Epic also seems to be redefining what the store aims to represent, as engaging players is one of the best ways to keep them returning to the platform. The new storefront layout is built around a more personalized home page, with quick-access categories and a scrollable hero section designed to help players find relevant games faster. Product pages are also being reworked to do more than just display a title, price, and rating. Epic wants them to highlight story elements, community activity, and even a player’s own progression where relevant. With this, EGS hopes to counter earlier claims by two former Epic Games employees that the EGS saw only an initial spike in active users during free game promotions, with gamers eventually returning to Steam.

If EGS wants to become a bigger player in the space, it will have to compete with Valve’s Steam. According to Bloomberg, the Epic Games Store grew to a record 78 million monthly active users on PCs. In comparison, Steam handles a similar number of users in just two to three days. The roadmap shown in the slides stretches across the next 12 months and includes a long list of features. Early priorities include Launcher V2 private beta testing, storefront rearchitecture, improved library management, Fortnite chunked installation, and native third-party patch notes. Later updates are expected to bring player profiles, avatars, user reviews, search improvements, publisher-funded coupons, and other social tools such as messaging, voice chat, and cross-game parties.