How to Clear Epic Games Cache (And When You Actually Need To)
If the Epic Games Launcher is running slowly, failing to load store pages, or throwing errors when you try to install or update a game, a corrupted or bloated cache is often the culprit. Clearing it is one of the most reliable first-response fixes — and it's simpler than most people expect.
What Is the Epic Games Cache, Exactly?
Like most modern software, the Epic Games Launcher stores temporary data locally to speed things up. This cache includes things like store thumbnails, login tokens, manifest files, and web data from the built-in browser engine. Over time this data can become outdated, fragmented, or corrupted — especially after launcher updates or interrupted downloads.
The cache itself isn't essential. Clearing it doesn't delete your games, remove your account, or affect your library. It simply forces the launcher to rebuild its temporary files from scratch on the next launch.
How to Clear the Epic Games Cache on Windows
This is the most common scenario, and the process is straightforward.
Step 1: Fully close the Epic Games Launcher. Don't just minimize it — right-click the system tray icon and choose Exit.
Step 2: Open the Run dialog with Windows + R, then paste in the following path:
%localappdata%EpicGamesLauncherSaved Step 3: Inside the Saved folder, you'll find several subfolders. Delete the contents of these three:
webcache— stores browser-engine data from the launcher's built-in store browserwebcache_4147(or similar versioned folders) — same purpose, different Chromium buildlogs— optional, but safe to clear if you're troubleshooting
You can also delete the entire webcache folder itself rather than just its contents — Epic will recreate it automatically.
Step 4: Relaunch the Epic Games Launcher. It may take slightly longer to load the first time as it rebuilds its cache.
🗂️ Note: The exact folder names inside
Savedcan vary slightly depending on your launcher version. If you see multiplewebcache_XXXXfolders, it's safe to delete them all.
How to Clear Epic Games Cache on macOS
The process mirrors Windows but uses different file paths.
Step 1: Quit the Epic Games Launcher entirely from the menu bar.
Step 2: Open Finder, then use Go > Go to Folder (Shift + Command + G) and navigate to:
~/Library/Caches/com.epicgames.EpicGamesLauncher Step 3: Delete the contents of that folder, or the folder itself. macOS will recreate it when needed.
You may also find relevant temporary data under ~/Library/Application Support/Epic/EpicGamesLauncher/Saved/ — the same subdirectory logic applies as on Windows.
What About Game-Specific Cache?
The launcher cache is separate from in-game cache files that individual titles generate. If you're experiencing issues inside a specific game rather than in the launcher itself, that game likely has its own cache folder — usually found within your game installation directory or in the game's local app data path.
Some games also store shader caches, which can cause stuttering or visual glitches when corrupt. These live separately and would need to be cleared on a per-game basis.
When Clearing Cache Actually Helps
| Problem | Likely Cache Type Involved | Expected Outcome After Clear |
|---|---|---|
| Store pages not loading | Webcache / browser data | Usually resolves immediately |
| Launcher stuck on loading screen | Webcache + saved data | Often fixes on relaunch |
| Login errors or token issues | Saved credentials / webcache | May require re-login |
| Thumbnails not displaying | Webcache | Refreshes on next load |
| Slow launcher performance | General cache bloat | Moderate improvement |
| In-game visual glitches | Shader cache (game-specific) | Requires game-level fix |
Variables That Change the Outcome
Not every cache clear produces the same result, and a few factors determine whether this fix actually addresses your problem:
Drive type and speed — On an HDD, rebuilding cache after clearing it takes noticeably longer than on an SSD. If your launcher feels slow immediately after clearing, give it time.
Launcher version — Epic updates the launcher frequently. Older versions may store cache differently, and some known bugs are version-specific. If clearing cache doesn't help, checking whether your launcher is up to date is a logical next step.
Account and network state — Some issues that look like cache problems are actually authentication errors or DNS/network issues. Clearing cache won't fix those, though it can rule them out.
OS permissions — On both Windows and macOS, if your user account doesn't have full write access to the local app data folders, the launcher may fail to properly rebuild its cache — or may have been writing to an unexpected location in the first place.
Antivirus or security software — Some security tools quarantine or block launcher cache writes, which can cause the same symptoms as corruption. If problems return quickly after clearing, this is worth investigating.
🔄 How Often Should You Clear It?
There's no universal maintenance schedule. Some users never need to clear the Epic cache at all. Others find themselves doing it every few months if the launcher behaves erratically after updates.
The practical approach: clear the cache when you notice a specific problem, not on a fixed schedule. The launcher cache is designed to be expendable — it exists purely to improve performance, not to store anything irreplaceable.
Whether this fix resolves your issue cleanly, or whether your situation involves a deeper configuration problem, depends on factors specific to your system, your OS environment, and how your Epic launcher is configured.