Epic Games Launcher downloading way slower than your actual internet speed? Here are all the fixes that actually work in 2026 — confirmed from Epic's official support page.

Fix 1 — Remove the Download Speed Limit (Most Common Fix)

Fix 2 — Edit the Engine.ini File (Advanced Speed Fix)

This is Epic's own official fix for slow downloads. It adjusts the connection timeout and chunk download settings to get better speeds from Epic's servers.

1. Press Windows + R, type %localappdata% and press Enter
2. Open the EpicGamesLauncher folder
3. Open the Saved folder
4. Open the Config folder
5. Open the Windows folder
6. Open the file called Engine.ini with Notepad
7. Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:

[HTTP] HttpTimeout=10 HttpConnectionTimeout=10 HttpReceiveTimeout=10 HttpSendTimeout=10 [Portal.BuildPatch] ChunkDownloads=3 ChunkRetries=20 RetryTime=0.5

1. Save the file and restart the Epic Games Launcher

These settings increase the number of simultaneous chunk downloads and reduce retry delays — many users report significantly faster speeds after applying this fix.

Fix 3 — Close Background Apps Eating Your Bandwidth

Other programs running while you download can eat into your available bandwidth significantly. Common culprits include browsers with many open tabs, streaming services, cloud backup software like OneDrive or Google Drive, and other game launchers like Steam or Battle.net.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
2. Click the Network column to sort by network usage
3. Right-click and End Task on any apps using significant bandwidth while your game downloads

Fix 4 — Use a Wired Connection

Wi-Fi is less stable and often significantly slower than a wired Ethernet connection for large downloads. If you're on Wi-Fi, connecting your PC directly to your router with an Ethernet cable will often make a major difference to download speed. If a wired connection isn't possible, try moving closer to your router or switching between your router's 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The 5GHz band is faster at short range.

Fix 5 — Check Epic Games Server Status

Sometimes slow downloads are caused by Epic's own servers being under heavy load — especially on major game launch days or right after a big update drops. Before spending time on fixes, check status.epicgames.com to confirm all services are running normally. If Epic's servers are struggling, just wait it out — nothing on your end will help.

Fix 6 — Change Your DNS Settings

Your ISP's default DNS servers can be slow and affect download performance. Switching to Google's faster public DNS often helps.

1. Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter
2. Right-click your active network connection and select Properties
3. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
4. Select Use the following DNS server addresses
5. Enter Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8 and Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4
6. Click OK and restart your PC

Fix 7 — Pause and Resume the Download

Sometimes the simplest fix works. Open the Epic Games Launcher, go to your Library, find the game that's downloading slowly, and click Pause. Wait 10 seconds and click Resume. This can reset a stuck or throttled download and restore normal speed. Still slow after all of these fixes? Chat with us using the Live Chat 24/7