Epic Games is attempting to revitalise its digital storefront with a faster, redesigned launcher—but its decision to describe the project as “vibe coded” has quickly become the main talking point.
The preview follows an earlier plan to overhaul the Epic Games Store, which has spent much of its eight-year history competing with Steam while also serving as the gateway to Fortnite. Epic’s new version is presented as a streamlined first step rather than a feature-complete replacement.
A faster launcher with a deliberately provocative pitch
In its announcement post, Epic said programming was difficult and claimed it had “vibe coded” a launcher that is more responsive, has a new visual design and includes a shopping cart. The company compared the early build to a speedboat rather than a yacht, acknowledging that it is light on features.
Epic also published responsiveness comparisons intended to show the preview outperforming Steam in selected tests. The company’s messaging was unusually combative, inviting users to try the new build and see whether it was faster than “the other guy” for themselves.
The timing has added to the scrutiny. The company had recently instructed internal game teams to adopt an “AI first” approach, including generative AI in art workflows. Epic’s public embrace of the same language for a storefront handling user accounts and payment details therefore attracted immediate attention.
Users report bugs and question the rollout
Online reactions have ranged from jokes about the terminology to concerns about reliability. Some users advised removing saved payment methods, while others reported unexpected behaviour involving Fortnite performance settings and the Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
Another complaint challenged Epic’s speed claims, arguing that the actual experience remained slow even apart from a previously reported bug. The response has been particularly sharp because the preview is being positioned as a serious technical rebuild, not merely a visual experiment.
Epic Games Store general manager Martin Keely said the launcher had been rebuilt from the ground up. He described a new technology stack covering the application shell, download manager, library and store architecture, including discovery and product-detail pages. The comments were reported by IGN.
Epic also announces Linux support for Fortnite
Alongside the launcher preview, Epic announced that Fortnite is coming to Linux through Proton, the compatibility layer developed by Valve. That decision produced its own round of criticism, with users pointing out the contrast between Epic’s jabs at Steam and its reliance on Valve’s technology for Linux compatibility.
Commentators on social media described the rollout as embarrassing and said the launcher’s “vibe-coded” branding made the problems harder to overlook. The reaction was not universal, but the early discussion has focused far more on bugs, messaging and corporate AI policy than on the promised performance improvements.
AI ambitions now face a practical test
Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney said the company was being retooled for “maximum AI acceleration”. He stressed that the goal was not simply to produce the same work with fewer employees, but to help teams create more and better products, including across Unreal Engine development.
The launcher preview will ultimately be judged by its stability and usefulness rather than its marketing language. Epic’s disclaimer warns that test versions can contain issues, while promising that those problems should not affect players once their games launch. For now, the store’s overhaul remains a work in progress—one that has already made the arcade and gaming news cycle for reasons Epic may not have intended.
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