Epic unveils new game launcher built with AI
What's the story
Epic Games has unveiled a revamped version of its launcher, the Epic Games Store (EGS). The company announced the update in a blog post, saying, "Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that's way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look." The announcement comes just a day after CEO Tim Sweeney revealed an AI-focused strategic shift at Epic.
Strategic shift
Epic laid off 1,000 employees in March
Sweeney's AI pivot at Epic is about retooling the workforce for maximum acceleration.
He said, "The aim isn't to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff."
This comes after a major layoff in March that saw 1,000 employees being let go.
According to Engadget's estimates, Epic had cut its workforce by a quarter from the remaining 4,000 employees after an earlier round of layoffs in 2023.
Improvements
The new launcher is available on Linux as well
The new launcher has addressed some major issues of its predecessor and is less "clunky" than before. Epic claims it can launch faster than Steam, the popular gaming platform.
The revamped software also lets you access games installed on your PC through Valve's launcher from its own interface.
Plus, it's now available on Linux for the first time, a welcome addition for those not using Windows.