Epic Games has opened preview downloads for its new game launcher, expanding support to Linux for the first time, alongside Windows and macOS. Epic claims the new game library loads 30 times faster than the previous version. The preview build is still in an early stage with limited features.
This update rewrites the launcher shell, download manager, game library, as well as game discovery and product details in the store. Currently, the preview version offers access to the store, game library, social panel, and pages for Unreal Engine developers.
Test data provided by Epic shows that the new launcher takes about 5.47 seconds for a cold start and around 0.36 seconds to reopen from the system tray, with a program size of approximately 300MB. These speed figures come from Epic's internal tests, and actual performance may vary depending on your device. In terms of interface, users can adjust the order of top tabs and filter their game library by category; Epic stated that it will further improve game discovery and recommendation sharing between players in the future.
The release of the Linux preview for the launcher does not mean Fortnite is now playable on the platform. Epic stated that adaptation of the relevant anti-cheat systems is still required.