Key information
Epic Games has announced a new version of its Epic Games Launcher, which the company claims was developed using generative AI, a process they colloquially refer to as vibe coding. The primary objective of this update is to improve speed and responsiveness to better compete with Steam.
According to Epic, the new launcher is designed to be faster than its predecessor and the current Steam client. The company acknowledges that the initial release is light on features, comparing the software to a speedboat rather than a yacht, and warns users that the preview version may contain bugs.
Martin Keely, vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store, stated that using AI has increased efficiency, allowing a small team to rewrite the code base for faster cross-platform deployment. CEO Tim Sweeney further indicated that this AI-focused approach may eventually be integrated into the Unreal Engine development tools.
The company is actively soliciting user feedback through a button in the launcher to address issues during the preview phase. This development follows reports that Epic is moving toward an AI-first pipeline for future projects, including upcoming collaborations with Disney.
