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How to Update the Epic Games Launcher and Verify You Have the Latest Version

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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To update the Epic Games Launcher, open it, click the Settings icon beside your profile, and choose RESTART AND UPDATE (or UPDATE AND RESTART, depending on the launcher release). Accept the Windows User Account Control prompt if it appears. After the restart, verify the version in Settings > About when that screen is available. Early Preview users can click Check now beside Version; other users can read the light-grey version text at the bottom of the launcher.

Update the launcher from its Settings menu

Epic delivers launcher updates through the application itself. The normal update path is the same whether you noticed a banner, an error message, or simply want to check manually.

  1. Start the Epic Games Launcher and wait for the main window to load.
  2. In the top-right corner, click the Settings icon next to your profile picture or account name.
  3. Look for an update control. It may be labelled RESTART AND UPDATE or UPDATE AND RESTART. The wording can change with the launcher release and its current state.
  4. Click that control and allow the launcher to close and reopen.
  5. On Windows, approve the User Account Control prompt when Windows asks whether the updater may make changes.
  6. Wait until the launcher finishes restarting before opening a game or beginning an installation.

If neither update label is present, the launcher may already believe it is current, may still be checking its service, or may be offline. Close and relaunch it, connect to the internet, and check the Settings menu again. For the specific LS-0002 outdated-version error, Epic’s documented order is to exit, relaunch, then use UPDATE AND RESTART if it appears.

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Early Preview: check and install the update

The Early Preview interface places the version check in a different location from the standard launcher. Use these steps when your layout has an Epic Games logo in the upper-left corner and an About page under Settings.

  1. Click the Epic Games logo in the top-left corner.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Open About.
  4. Beside Version, click Check now.
  5. If an update is found, follow the restart-and-update prompt and accept the Windows UAC request if shown.

The Early Preview About page is the clearest way to ask the launcher to verify its own currency. A successful check does not update games; it only checks the launcher software.

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How to verify which launcher version is installed

Use the About page in Early Preview

In Early Preview, go to Epic Games logo > Settings > About. The Version entry and its Check now control show the installed build and let the launcher query for a newer one. Record the displayed number if you are reporting a problem, because the exact build helps distinguish an outdated client from a game or account issue.

Read the version text at the bottom of the launcher

Epic also documents a second check for the standard interface: scroll to the bottom of the launcher and read the first four numbers in the light-grey version text. In the support article about games being unavailable, Epic treats a value lower than 20.2.4 as out of date for that particular troubleshooting scenario.

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That 20.2.4 value is a diagnostic threshold for that article, not a promise that it is the latest release number today. Do not use it as a universal current-version target. The reliable test is whether the launcher offers an update and whether its own About or version check reports that it is current.

Choose the right action for the message or launcher state

What you see What it indicates First action Important qualification
RESTART AND UPDATE or UPDATE AND RESTART in Settings The launcher has an update ready. Click the control, let the app restart, and accept UAC on Windows. The two labels are equivalent update actions; wording varies by release or state.
Early Preview About page You are using the preview interface. Open Settings > About and click Check now beside Version. The check is in About rather than the normal top-right flow.
LS-0002 Epic identifies the running launcher as outdated. Exit and relaunch, then use UPDATE AND RESTART if available. If you are trying to play offline, reconnect to the internet first.
Epic Games Launcher Update is required The client must be updated before it can continue. Open Settings and choose RESTART AND UPDATE. Windows may display a User Account Control prompt.
Blank library or games unavailable An old launcher can block game updates and installations. Open Settings and choose UPDATE AND RESTART. Epic’s 20.2.4 reference applies only to the support scenario that cites it.
No update control appears The client may be current, still starting its update service, or unable to reach the service. Exit and relaunch while connected to the internet, then inspect Settings again. Button text and location can change between normal and preview releases.

Fix LS-0002 and other outdated-version errors

1. Restart the launcher completely

Exit the Epic Games Launcher rather than leaving its window minimized. Start it again and wait for the library to finish loading. This gives the client another opportunity to detect the update service and present the correct control.

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2. Install the offered update

Open the top-right Settings menu. Select UPDATE AND RESTART if that is the wording shown in your build. If your build uses RESTART AND UPDATE, choose that instead. Allow the restart to finish before retrying the game.

3. Reconnect before retrying an offline launch

Epic specifically says an internet connection is required when LS-0002 is being handled this way. Connect the computer to the internet, relaunch the client, and repeat the Settings update action. An offline session cannot complete a launcher update check.

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4. Confirm the result

After the restart, use the About check if you are in Early Preview, or read the light-grey version text at the bottom of the standard launcher. If the same error returns, note the exact message and version before contacting Epic support; those details identify whether the launcher actually changed builds.

When the library is blank or every game appears unavailable

A launcher that is too old can prevent the library from loading correctly and can block game installation or updating. In this situation, do not assume that every title has been removed from your account.

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  1. Open the top-right Settings menu.
  2. Choose UPDATE AND RESTART (or the equivalent RESTART AND UPDATE wording).
  3. Let the launcher close, install, and reopen fully.
  4. Return to the library and check whether your titles and install controls have returned.

If the library remains empty, record the version shown at the bottom of the window. Epic’s all-games-unavailable guidance describes versions below 20.2.4 as out of date in that specific article; it does not establish 20.2.4 as the latest release for every date or platform.

Respond to an “update is required” notice

When the launcher displays an Epic Games Launcher Update is required notice, use the built-in updater rather than repeatedly launching a game.

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  1. Open the launcher Settings menu.
  2. Click RESTART AND UPDATE.
  3. Approve the Windows UAC prompt if Windows asks for permission.
  4. Wait for the launcher to restart, then try the game again.

The UAC dialog is a normal part of installing the launcher update on Windows. Denying it prevents the update from completing, so the notice can reappear on the next launch.

How automatic launcher updates work on Windows

Epic describes an Epic Games Updater service for Windows. A fresh launcher installation adds it, and a later launcher update can install or refresh it as well. The service runs during the self-update process so the launcher can replace its files safely; it is not active continuously in the background.

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This updater applies only to Windows. Epic says it does not affect other platforms, so the existence or status of the Windows service cannot be used to diagnose a Mac or another platform’s launcher behavior. On any platform, use the update control exposed by that platform’s launcher interface and verify the displayed version after the restart.

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Do not confuse a launcher update with a game update

Updating the Epic Games Launcher updates the client that manages your library, downloads, and account session. It does not guarantee that every game is updated through that client.

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Some games require an additional, native launcher. Epic states that games in this category cannot always be updated or verified in the Epic Games Launcher. Ubisoft Connect and Origin are examples of native launchers Epic names for this purpose. Open the native launcher associated with the game and perform the update or file-verification operation there.

This distinction explains a common pattern: the Epic client reports that it is current, while a particular game’s update or verification control is unavailable. The launcher can be fully updated even though the game’s own launcher still needs attention.

Why the update button or version check can look different

Normal release versus Early Preview

The standard interface exposes the update action in the top-right Settings menu. Early Preview moves the currency check to Settings > About. Follow the path that matches the interface you actually see instead of looking for an exact label from another screenshot or support article.

Different button wording

RESTART AND UPDATE and UPDATE AND RESTART describe the same basic operation: install the launcher update and reopen the client. Epic uses both labels in its support instructions because the wording can vary by launcher state or release.

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Operating-system differences

The Epic Games Updater service and its documented automatic-update behavior are Windows-specific. Do not expect to find that service on another platform, and do not treat its absence elsewhere as proof that the launcher is broken.

Connectivity and permissions

The launcher must be able to reach Epic’s update service to download a new build. LS-0002 guidance explicitly calls for reconnecting to the internet, and Windows may require UAC approval during installation. If either condition is missing, the update can remain pending even though the launcher has detected that one is needed.

A complete verification routine

Use this short routine when you need evidence that the launcher is current before troubleshooting a game:

  1. Connect to the internet.
  2. Exit and relaunch the Epic Games Launcher.
  3. Open the top-right Settings menu and look for an update action.
  4. If you are in Early Preview, open Settings > About and click Check now beside Version.
  5. If you are in the standard interface, read the first four numbers in the light-grey version text at the bottom.
  6. Install any offered update and accept the Windows UAC prompt when required.
  7. After the restart, check the version again and only then troubleshoot the individual game.

Keep the launcher version separate from the game’s version in your notes. That simple distinction prevents an outdated-client error from being confused with a game that is managed by another launcher.

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What to record if updating still fails

  • The exact error text, including whether it is LS-0002 or an update-required notice.
  • The first four numbers in the light-grey version text, or the Version value on the Early Preview About page.
  • Whether the Settings menu showed RESTART AND UPDATE, UPDATE AND RESTART, or neither.
  • Whether the computer was online when you relaunched the launcher.
  • Whether Windows displayed a UAC prompt and whether you approved it.
  • Whether the problem affects the entire library or only one game that uses a separate native launcher.

These observations establish which branch of Epic’s documented guidance applies and give support a precise description of the failed update attempt.

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