Epic's New Launcher: Linux Support and Steam Games

For seven years the Epic Games Launcher was the app PC players loved to complain about. Now Epic says it has rebuilt it from scratch with AI-assisted coding, put it on Linux for the first time and taught it to show your Steam library.

Ask a PC gamer what they think of the Epic Games Launcher and you'll usually get a sigh. The free games are great, they'll say, but the app is slow, the library is clunky and it always seems to need an update. On October 15, 2026, Epic announced it had finally done something about it.

Epic unveiled a rebuilt Epic Games Launcher that it says is "way faster and more responsive than the current one" and can even launch faster than Steam. Two features stand out: it is available on Linux for the first time, and it can show games installed through Steam alongside your Epic library. Epic says it "vibe coded" the new app, a cheeky way of saying it was built with heavy help from AI coding tools.

What's new

Speed: Epic claims faster start-up and a more responsive interface than the old launcher.
Linux: an official Linux version, a first for Epic's store and a direct nod to the growing number of players on SteamOS and other Linux systems.
Steam games: the launcher can display games you installed through Valve's client, so you can see more of your PC library in one place.

The announcement came a day after CEO Tim Sweeney described an AI-focused shift in how Epic works. "The aim isn't to do the same stuff with fewer people," he wrote, "but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff." It's a pointed line from a company that laid off about 1,000 employees in March.

How the store is doing

Epic shared new figures at its Unreal Fest keynote in June:

6,000+ games on the store from 3,000+ developers.
40% year-on-year growth in spending on third-party games in the first four months of 2026.
Epic First Run: developers who launch on Epic first keep 100% of net revenue for their first six months.
Launch Everywhere with Epic: Unreal Engine developers who also publish on the Epic store pay a reduced 3.5% engine royalty.

Epic's Bill Clifford summed it up: "2025 was a year of growth for the Epic Games Store, and we're off to a great start in 2026." Epic also said it ran more than 30 Fortnite crossovers with store games this year.

Why Linux matters

Linux used to be a rounding error in PC gaming. Not any more. Valve's SteamOS, which is built on Linux, now runs on the Steam Deck, the new Steam Machine and some third-party handhelds, and its compatibility layer Proton lets most Windows games run on it. A store that ignored Linux was increasingly a store that ignored the fastest-growing corner of PC gaming. Our Linux and Proton explainer explains how that happened.

Showing Steam games is just as telling. Epic has accepted that most PC players use more than one store and that Steam is usually the main one. Rather than pretend otherwise, it's trying to become the place where you see everything.

What to watch

The real test is everyday use. A launcher that is quick on day one can slow down as features pile up, and Linux players will want to see Epic's anti-cheat-heavy games, including Fortnite, actually run there. For now, though, the most-mocked app in PC gaming has a fresh start, and PC players get a little more choice. For the full story of the other big DRM-free alternative, read our GOG feature.