Epic says new Epic Games launcher with vibe code is faster than Steam

But Epic warns the new "Preview" app "will have bugs."

But Epic warns that the new "Preview" app "will have bugs."

A smooth interface on the front. Pure vibes below.

Almost eight years after Epic took over Steam with its own store and launcher, the Fortnite developer is using a new tool to give it an edge over Valve: vibe coding.

In announcing the new publicly available "preview" of the Epic Games Launcher, Epic writes that “programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we coded a new Epic Games launcher that's much faster and more responsive than the current launcher, and has a new look." And while that might sound a bit simplistic, Epic Games general manager and VP of store Martin Kelly told PC Gamer that the team "started from scratch" and used AI as "a tool to write and explore new features and new capabilities from the ground up on a different technology stack than we had before." The goal, Kiley said, was to "look at the functionality that was there [in Epic Games' current launcher] and [say] we want to replicate that, but not the code itself."

Speaking to IGN, Keely explained that using AI to code the new launcher "made us more efficient and allowed a small team to rewrite the code base and be able to launch it faster across platforms, support Windows and Mac, and we'll have a Linux version as well."

We coded Epic Games Launcher to be faster than others.

Don't believe us? Test it yourself in the preview:

— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) October 14, 2026

The focus on launch speed extends to Epic's social media announcement, which reiterates that "we coded the Epic Games Launcher faster than anyone else." Ars' own testing confirms that the new launcher goes from a cold start to the store page a few seconds faster than Steam (assuming no login or update issues). Epic also claims that the new Launcher can return from the system tray to the library screen slightly faster than Steam, although the claimed difference of 0.06 seconds seems so small as to be unnoticeable (and it was in our testing).

Epic announced a "showcase re-architecture" and "Launcher V2 private Beta" at its Unreal Fest presentation in June. At the time, the company said the new launcher would have "5x faster cold start" times and help solve challenges that "every developer in this room and every player" experienced with the current launcher.

The term "vibe coding" still carries heavy connotations of fast-cluttered slop that can hide fundamental errors beneath the surface. On social media, Epic warns that its Launcher Preview "has bugs" that early testers can help fix with a feedback form. The announcement post also warns that the preview with the vibe code is currently "on light features" - the FAQ clarifies that "some social features and account management options" haven't been removed from the old version yet.

However, the new preview launcher adds some long-requested features, such as a list of recent games and a centralized download center to track network activity. And Epic writes that it is working on parity of features between the new and old launcher.

Epic's release of a preview of its new "Webcoded" launcher comes just days after a Bloomberg report suggested the company is pivoting to an "AI-first" development model for a Star Wars and Marvel-themed shooter. "We're undergoing a major pivot at Epic, which is moving developers toward new tools for maximum AI acceleration," Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote on social media Monday. "The goal is not to do the same things with fewer people, but to make everyone here able to make more and better things, and bring benefits to all teams using Unreal."

Kyle Orland has been the senior gaming editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, technology, and culture behind video games. He holds degrees in journalism and computer science from the University of Maryland. He once wrote an entire book about Minesweeper.