Epic announced the Epic Games Launcher Preview for Windows, macOS, and Linux on October 14, 2026. Martin Keely, Epic’s vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store and Epic Online Services, told The Verge that AI agents wrote and reviewed the code while Epic’s development team managed and supervised the work. Epic’s announcement describes a faster, more responsive Preview; the Steam timings associated with the launch date to tests from October 2020.
For the original platform rollout, see NeoTeo’s earlier report on the Preview announcement. The development account came from Keely’s interview with The Verge.
How AI contributed to the Launcher
Keely said AI agents wrote and reviewed all the code, helped test the software, and replicated core functions of the existing Launcher. He also said AI helped Epic bring the new Launcher to Linux. Epic’s team, rather than the agents alone, managed and supervised the development process.
What carries over to the Preview
Epic lists dedicated game pages, connected PC libraries, collections, grid and list views, customizable top-bar items, search and filters, and a consolidated download view. The download view groups active, queued, scheduled, and failed downloads and displays download, read, and write speeds. A shopping cart is also included. Epic’s announcement says purchases, installed games, cloud saves, and progress linked to an Epic account carry over to the Preview and the full release.
Epic describes the Preview as a lighter first release, with updates, optimizations, and features to follow. The existing Launcher remains available. Keely told The Verge that a full release depends on stability and parity with the current Launcher.
The Steam timings come from October 2020
The comparison graphic accompanying Journal du Geek’s report dates the tests to October 2020. It identifies five tests across three Windows PC configurations, conducted by Keywords Studio on Epic’s commission. The graphic lists these times:
| Measurement | Epic Games Launcher | Steam |
| Cold start to store | 5.47 seconds | 10.07 seconds |
| Restore from system tray to library | 0.36 seconds | 0.42 seconds |
Journal du Geek’s report and the accompanying comparison graphic provide the test date and conditions. Epic’s October 2026 announcement says the Preview starts faster and navigates more responsively than its current Launcher, but gives no numerical Steam comparison.
The figures have also prompted skepticism about whether launch speed alone would persuade Steam users. In a discussion on r/pcmasterrace, IvarSolaris questioned whether a small startup-time difference would change users’ platform preferences; rodryguezzz argued that a smaller feature set could explain a speed advantage. Both are individual reactions to the claim.
Smart Poly’s Preview 0.91 walkthrough
Smart Poly’s walkthrough identifies the build as Preview 0.91 and tours the store, library, and developer tabs. The creator shows a developer area with installed Unreal Engine versions 5.8, 5.7, 5.6, 5.5, and 4.27, plus source builds, and demonstrates player and developer presets for the top bar. Smart Poly also reports bugs and incomplete detection of local project paths in that build. The walkthrough is an interface tour, not a controlled Steam speed comparison.
Linux support for the Launcher and Fortnite
The Preview supports Linux, but Epic’s Fortnite plan depends on rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat and working with Linux distribution maintainers on security requirements. Epic says it plans to bring Fortnite to Linux after that work reaches a sufficient level. Epic’s announcement sets out those conditions.
