Bloody Hell, Did Epic's Boss Just Say What We're All Thinking? The EGS Launcher Sucks, And They're Finally Fixing It.
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Epic Games Store's VP and GM, Steven Allison, has candidly admitted the EGS launcher "sucks" due to its slowness and lack of social features, promising major overhauls this year, including significant speed improvements, comprehensive social functionalities, and a forum-type experience, after years of focusing on developer tools. It's a long-awaited fix, and while skepticism is healthy, Jeff reckons it's a refreshing step towards a better player experience.
Right, gather 'round, mates, because I've been tinkering with some news that's wilder than a rogue spell in a wizard's duel. You know that feeling when you've been pointing out a glaring bug in a game for years, and then, out of nowhere, the dev team just... agrees? And not in a PR-spin way, but in a 'yeah, we messed up, it's garbage' kind of way? Well, that's pretty much what just happened with the Epic Games Store.
Steven Allison, the vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store, recently pulled back the curtain, and fair dinkum, he didn't mince words. In an interview, he looked at the EGS launcher and declared, "The launcher sucks. Let's call it what it is. It's really slow." Now, if that isn't the most candid admission I've heard from a major gaming exec in ages, I don't know what is. It's like finding a wizard who admits his favourite spell often backfires, but promises he's finally got a new incantation coming.
For years, gamers have felt that the Epic Games Store, despite its generous free game giveaways and that tempting 88/12 revenue split for developers (a proper shot in the arm compared to Steam's infamous 30% cut), felt… unfinished. Like a brilliant potion brewed with all the right ingredients, but served in a chipped mug with a wonky handle. It did the job, mostly, but it was clunky, lacked basic social features, and often felt sluggish enough to make dial-up internet look snappy.
So, why the delay? Allison explained that the initial focus was on building a "two-sided marketplace" – getting developers on board with that sweet revenue share was the "tip of the spear." They needed to build out developer tools, self-publishing capabilities, and manage the sheer influx of users drawn in by the freebies. "We had to get developers in the door, they are not going to deal with a back end where we have to do everything manually with them," he said. It took three years to get the developer-side tooling sorted, essentially. It's a classic case of pouring all your mana into one spell, while forgetting to buff your own armour.
But here's the kicker: Epic is finally turning its gaze, and a hefty chunk of its engineering resources, towards us – the players. Allison promised that this year will be "probably the best year" for player experience improvements. And believe me, they've got some big rocks to roll.
First up, speed. "We're basically pulling the guts out, putting new guts in," Allison described, detailing architectural work that started late last year. We should start feeling the benefits around May or June this year, with a proper "Holy shit. It doesn't suck so much" moment expected. Imagine your favourite magical grimoire suddenly opening instantly instead of making you wait a few seconds every time you flip a page. Bliss!
Then there are the social features – or, more accurately, the *lack* thereof that has been a sticking point for ages. Epic's planning a whole host of 'community spaces': avatars, player profiles, private messaging, cross-platform text and voice chat, and game-independent parties, all starting from Q2 (that's May, according to Allison). Plus, and this is where my inner digital archaeologist perked up, a "kind of forum-type experience" later this year. Remember those days of forum-based communities? Could we be seeing a return to more structured, less instant-message-y game discussions? That's genuinely exciting for a curious soul like myself.
Beyond that, we're also getting a cross-platform library in the autumn, along with new 'library management' functions and region-specific storefronts. They're even pushing into mobile, with iOS launches in Japan and Brazil. It's a comprehensive list of long-requested features, and it sounds like Epic is finally casting the right spells to make the player experience genuinely good, rather than just tolerable.
Now, a wizard with a healthy dose of skepticism (like yours truly) might wonder, what's taken so long for a company with Epic's resources? And will these changes truly be enough to win over the folks on the infamous r/fuckepic subreddit? Allison himself acknowledges the criticism, respecting the sentiment, but expresses confidence that players "are going to be happy when those features show up." The goal? "Two years from now, we're not really having this conversation anymore." He hopes the EGS will be "better than anyone's doing" when it comes to social features.
It’s a big promise, mate, bigger than a dragon's hoard. But a candid admission is always the first step toward true improvement. It’s refreshing to hear such honesty, and while I’ll keep my enchanted spectacles on for careful observation, I'm cautiously optimistic that Epic might just be able to pull off this grand magical overhaul. We'll have to wait and see if these new spells truly stick.
This fascinating deep dive into Epic's plans comes courtesy of Chris Tapsell's interview with Steven Allison for Eurogamer.
Tags: Epic Games Store, Gaming Launcher, PC Gaming, Industry News, Player Experience
Original article: Eurogamer