TL;DR: Epic Games is building a native Linux version of the reworked Epic Games Launcher, confirmed in an AMA. The new launcher abandons Unreal Engine for a Tauri WebView framework, promising faster loads, improved UI, written reviews, and broader cross-platform support, though details on game compatibility and any compatibility layer remain unclear.
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Epic Games has announced development of a Linux version of the Epic Games Launcher as part of the app’s massive rework that is already underway. In an AMA on the Epic Games Discord server, one of the company’s developers answered a question from a member regarding Linux support and confirmed that part of the ongoing work to rework the Launcher will include a native Linux application.
The staff member’s wording confirms that Epic Games is not merely working on a port of the Launcher for Linux, but that it is developing a fully native version for Linux users. There’s no word on what compatibility layer Epic will be using, but it could be a completely home-brewed version, a port of Wine, or a ported version of Valve’s Proton. That said, Epic Games never mentioned a compatibility layer, so in a worst-case scenario, the new Epic Games Launcher might only run games on Linux that have a native Linux port.
Introducing Linux compatibility to the Epic Games Launcher will give Linux gamers another library to use, without the headaches of running the Windows version in a compatibility layer. Currently, some popular methods to use the Epic Games Launcher on Linux are through the Heroic Games Launcher or Lutris. But these methods are missing some features, including cloud saves, and are not guaranteed to work with all games, especially if the game comes with anti-cheat software.
- Read more: Proton and Linux are ‘vectors for cheat developers,’ Rust dev Alistair McFarlane says
Will the reworked Epic Games Launcher be a native Linux application or a Windows compatibility-layer port?
What UI and performance improvements are expected in the reworked launcher that will apply on Linux?
Will the reworked launcher’s move away from Unreal Engine to Tauri impact availability of written user reviews and other store features on Linux?
Does the article indicate any timeline or release window for when the native Linux Epic Games Launcher will be available?
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Epic Games appears to be taking inspiration from GoG, which also announced development of a Linux version of its library app this year. Epic Games’ Linux announcement comes after the company announced a full rework of the Epic Games Launcher, including significantly faster load times, improved UI, written user reviews for games, and much more. The biggest change is the code behind the app itself, which is no longer being built using Unreal Engine. Instead, the new Epic Games Launcher uses a WebView-based framework called Tauri that is designed to work across Windows, Linux, Mac, and other operating systems.
