On Windows, Epic Games Launcher installs games by default in C:Program FilesEpic Games. If you chose another folder during installation, your games will be there instead. The game files, the Launcher application, and game saves are stored separately, so the right location depends on what you are trying to find.
Where to find Epic Games Launcher installs
Epic’s documented Windows default for game installations is C:Program FilesEpic Games. Each game has its own folder inside the selected install directory. The path is not universal: it reflects the location chosen when the game was installed. Epic’s installation-path guidance explains how to view or change the default.
To check the default directory for future installs, open the Epic Games Launcher’s Download Manager, select Download Settings, then under General choose Change for Default Install Directory. If you have already installed a game to a custom location, check that folder or the game’s options in the Library rather than assuming it is in the Windows default.
Game files, Launcher files, and saves are different
Epic Games Launcher application
The Launcher program itself is separate from the games it manages. Epic says changing the Launcher’s installation location requires uninstalling and reinstalling the Launcher. Its instructions for changing the Launcher directory warn that uninstalling it removes games installed on that computer. Games associated with your account can be downloaded again after reinstalling, but the local installed files are removed.
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Local game saves
One common Windows location for Epic Launcher saves is %localappdata%EpicGamesLauncherSavedSaves[EpicGamesAccountID][Yourgamefolder]. This is not the save location for every game: Epic’s save-file guidance lists other common Windows locations and notes that some games store saves elsewhere. If the title’s save is not in the listed locations, Epic recommends contacting that game’s developer.
How to move an installed game to another folder
Epic documents a move procedure that lets the Launcher verify the copied files before you play. Follow the steps in order:
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- Make a backup copy of the game’s current folder.
- In the Launcher, uninstall the game.
- Start installing it again and choose the new destination.
- Once the download begins, cancel it.
- Copy the backed-up game folder into the new location.
- Resume the install in the Launcher. It will verify the files before the game is ready to launch.
These are Epic’s documented steps for moving an installed game. Keep the backup until the Launcher has finished verifying and the game launches as expected.
If the Launcher does not recognize existing game files
Epic says the Launcher has no feature that automatically detects previously installed game files. Its documented workaround may help, but Epic cautions that it does not work for every game:
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- Start a new installation of the game in the Launcher.
- Pause the download, then close the Launcher.
- Copy the existing game files into the new download directory.
- Restart the Launcher and resume the installation.
See Epic’s instructions for unrecognized installed games for the official workaround and its limitations.
Verify files if a game has problems
To check an installation without moving it, open the game’s Library menu, choose Manage, then select Verify. Epic says this checks local files for damage or corruption and replaces or repairs files that differ. Verification does not affect saved data. Epic’s verification instructions cover the process.
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Which location should you use?
- Looking for installed game files: check the chosen game-install directory; the Windows default is
C:Program FilesEpic Games. - Choosing a folder for future games: change Default Install Directory in the Launcher’s Download Settings.
- Looking for a save: check the game-specific save locations; they may be outside the install folder.
- Changing the Launcher’s own location: use Epic’s separate uninstall-and-reinstall process, understanding that installed local games are removed.
Epic’s cited default path and Launcher-location instructions are for Windows. They do not establish one universal path for every operating system or game; the installation choice and the game’s own save implementation determine the actual locations.
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