The gap between Steam and the Epic Games Store remains significant and a major contributing factor is the Epic Games Store’s need for substantial improvement. While the store offers a user-friendly interface and weekly free games, it has long been criticized for lacking features and suffering from performance issues. Now, after years of promises, 2026 appears to be the year Epic is finally prioritizing user experience enhancements.
Steven Allison, Vice President and General Manager of the Epic Games Store, has openly acknowledged the shortcomings of the platform’s launcher. In an interview with Eurogamer, Allison stated bluntly, “The launcher sucks. Let’s call it what it is. It’s really slow.” He explained that the launcher’s repeated calls to Epic’s backend services for information with every click creates noticeable delays, particularly for users with slower internet connections. “That just doesn’t feel good, especially when people are comparing and contrasting and dual-using one that doesn’t do that,” he added, referencing Steam as a point of comparison.
Allison indicated that the criticisms are justified, and that the launcher has accumulated technical debt over the years. He explained that prioritizing developer tools and systems had previously taken precedence over the user experience. However, Epic has begun to shift its focus.
Improvements Coming to the Epic Games Store
“We got a lot of stuff out the door last year, and this year is going to be probably the best year for that stuff on the ‘big rocks’,” Allison said. “And the big rocks are – the launcher sucks.” Epic plans to address this by essentially rebuilding the launcher’s underlying architecture to drastically reduce loading times when launching the application and navigating the game library. These improvements are expected to roll out between May and June of this year.
Beyond performance, Epic intends to bolster the social aspects of the platform. Planned additions include customizable user profiles with avatars, private messaging, cross-platform text chat, and, at a later stage, voice chat and the ability to create forums. These features are not limited to the Epic Games Store itself; Epic plans to integrate them into Epic Online Services, allowing other developers to utilize them in their own titles throughout 2026.
The overhaul isn’t simply cosmetic. According to Allison, Epic is “pulling the guts out [and] putting new guts in” to fundamentally improve the launcher’s speed and responsiveness. The goal, he stated, is to reach a point where users will say, “Holy sh*t. It doesn’t suck so much,” marking a significant win for the company.
This admission of the launcher’s deficiencies comes after years of acknowledging the need for improvement. Last year, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney described the launcher as “clunky,” signaling a growing internal recognition of the problem. The current commitment to a substantial overhaul suggests a more determined effort to address long-standing user complaints.
The planned improvements represent a significant investment by Epic Games in its storefront. While the Epic Games Store has gained traction through its strategy of offering free games and securing timed exclusives, its long-term success hinges on providing a competitive and enjoyable user experience. The upcoming changes aim to close the gap with Steam and establish the Epic Games Store as a genuine alternative for PC gamers.
Allison concluded by expressing hope that these conversations will no longer be necessary in two years, emphasizing the company’s commitment to addressing the core issues and delivering a better experience for its users. “We simply have to work,” he said.
