Epic Games has released a hotfix for an issue that caused its launcher to spike CPU temps and run demanding processes in the background. According to Epic, this isn't a "full solution", but it should improve the issue for afflicted users.
What is the problem with the Epic Games Launcher?
This issue was first reported by Reddit user Neoncarbon, who claimed their Ryzen 7 5800X was spiking in temperature thanks to the Epic Games Launcher running. Other users then began to share similar stories, with Ryzen CPUs seemingly most affected by the issue. Hardware platform HotHardware tested the issue on a liquid-cooled Ryzen 9 5950X and found that running the Epic Games Launcher caused the CPU to run at around 53 degrees Celsius. The site also noted that Epic's launcher was "lighting up cores" and keeping them running without reason.
The hotfix is live now (11.0.2). It's not a full solution, but things should improve.
— Sergiy Galyonkin (@galyonkin) December 29, 2020
Following this issue being reported by multiple users, Epic staffer Sergiy Galyonkin said the company was aware of the problem. Galyonkin said the issue was "a bug" which the team was working to fix. As of yesterday, Galyonkin said the hotfix - which he describes as "not a full solution" - is now live as part of the Epic Games Launcher's 11.0.2 update. Galyonkin doesn't go into any detail as to what might have been causing the issue or why it happened, and the 11.0.2 update he describes merely lists "bug fixes" in its changelog.
It's not clear how or if Epic intends to implement a more permanent fix for this problem. Galyonkin's words - that the fix is not a full solution, but should improve the problem - suggests that Epic is working on something more long-term. We'll have to wait and see if more users report the problem or if things don't improve for those who already have. As ever, we'll bring you more on this as soon as we get it.
Have you been experiencing temperature issues with Epic Games' launcher? Let us know in the comments below!