Epic Games is overhauling its rival to Steam.

The Epic Games Store (EGS) has a lot to offer, like weekly free games, solid sales, Epic rewards, and of course, Fortnite. However, it’s not without its flaws. The launcher can be resource-hungry, games often take ages to load, and downloads can be sluggish. Fortunately, Epic has some improvements on the horizon, with a revamped Epic Games Store launcher set to roll out in May or June.

Steve Allison, the vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store, shared in a recent interview that they are overhauling the launcher. “We’re ripping the guts out of the Epic Games launcher, entirely — well, mostly entirely — and replacing it,” he stated. “That work started in October, and it’s pretty far along now.”

Since its debut in 2018, the Epic Games Store has grown to become the second-largest online gaming storefront, trailing only Steam. Despite its expansion, the performance of the launcher hasn’t seen much improvement, especially when compared to Steam. Right now, with both apps running on my PC, EGS is consuming more than double the RAM that Steam does while idling.

Allison acknowledged the performance issues, saying, “[The] launcher experience […] might use a lot of system resources for some people. It may load on a delay that doesn’t feel good, especially when you’re a dual user that uses Steam or another store that you don’t experience that on.” He noted that 60% of EGS users also use Steam, indicating they are aware of the concerns.

But performance upgrades aren’t the only changes coming to the Epic Games Store. Following the introduction of text chat across the Epic ecosystem at the start of 2026, Epic plans to enhance what Allison describes as its “connected social experience.” Voice chat is also on the way for May or June, and it will be independent of any specific game, allowing players to connect with friends even when not playing together.

Another exciting feature is the introduction of avatars. Users will be able to create their own virtual avatars that will appear in the launcher. In the social menu, the first letter of your username will be replaced with your avatar’s image, adding a more personalized touch.

While not every user may be thrilled about avatars, Epic has a bonus that could entice those who don’t play Fortnite. If you purchase a game that includes a Fortnite pre-order bonus — and there will be plenty this year — you can use those bonuses for your avatar. “If you are a player [on EGS] and you don’t play Fortnite, but you do buy Resident Evil [Requiem] or whatever here, you’ll be able to represent that IP [with the bonus Fortnite cosmetics on your avatar],” Allison explained.

In summary, Epic is clearly aware of the issues many players face with EGS and is finally taking steps to address them. With the upcoming launcher update, we can look forward to a faster experience that makes diving into games much smoother. And let’s be honest, the avatars are a fun addition — finally, my Fortnite skin of Will Smith from Bad Boys will have a permanent home.