Epic Games Acknowledges Issues with PC Launcher and Vows Significant Speed Improvements

Epic Games has acknowledged the pressing need for significant enhancements to its PC launcher. The company is set to implement substantial performance improvements and introduce much-anticipated social features as part of a comprehensive transformation of the Epic Games ecosystem.

This announcement was made during the release of the annual statistics for the Epic Games Store, which indicated a rise in third-party spending coupled with a decrease in Fortnite’s playtime. In light of this, Epic revealed plans for accelerating launcher performance, enhancing community engagement tools, and offering a shared library accessible across both PC and mobile devices.

Steven Allison, the Vice President and General Manager of the Epic Games Store, shared candid insights about the software’s current limitations in an interview with Eurogamer.

Admittance of Launcher Flaws and Commitment to Enhancements

“We achieved numerous accomplishments last year, and this year is anticipated to be our most productive in terms of ‘big rocks’, ” remarked Allison, pinpointing the launcher’s performance as a significant area of concern.“Let’s be straightforward: it’s slow.”

Allison elaborated on the inefficiencies inherent in the launcher, highlighting how it repeatedly communicates with Epic’s backend services as users navigate through menus. This results in discernible delays, particularly influenced by each user’s internet connectivity.“This can be frustrating, especially when users are comparing it to more responsive competitors like Steam, ” he noted.

Epic Games Store — Image Source: Dexerto

According to Allison, Epic initiated a substantial overhaul of the launcher’s architecture in November 2022, with expectations to deliver speed improvements by May or June. The official rollout is planned for the summer period.

“Users should experience a noticeable enhancement in speed, leading to feedback like, ‘Wow, it doesn’t feel so ineffective anymore.’ That will be our success benchmark, ” he expressed.

In addition to performance enhancements, Epic aims to rectify the social feature deficits that have hampered its platform compared to its rivals. Allison admitted that Epic Games Store currently lacks the social infrastructure that players desire.

As part of their efforts, Epic intends to introduce various community features, including player avatars, profiles, private messaging capabilities, cross-platform text and voice chat, and the establishment of game-independent party systems starting in the second quarter of the year, with May as a tentative launch month. Furthermore, a cross-platform library is on track for a fall release, alongside new management tools and localized storefronts, with launches planned for iOS in Japan in March and Brazil in June.

Additionally, Epic is preparing to pilot forum-style features later this year, with Allison describing this addition as contributing to a more community-centric experience.

When questioned about the delays in addressing player-facing functionalities, Allison attributed it to the complexities involved in launching a large-scale two-sided marketplace, with an initial focus on developing systems that benefit game developers.

He explained that the emphasis was placed on creating self-publishing tools and optimizing onboarding processes for studios—a task that required nearly three years of engineering effort, all while maintaining an impressive 88 percent revenue share for developers.

“It’s not that we disregarded it, ” Allison stated.“We had to shift from a manual onboarding approach for significant titles to developing self-publishing capabilities, which has been a primary engineering focus.”

He acknowledged the criticisms the Epic Games Store has received from users, especially from active voices on social platforms.“These criticisms are valid, ” he confessed, adding that the company is now committing the majority of its engineering resources toward supporting player-facing enhancements.

“Our goal is to address all major concerns that have been rightfully highlighted, and we are fully dedicated to this undertaking. We are focused on executing the necessary improvements, ” he concluded.

Source & Images