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Solved Error

How to Fix Epic Games Launcher Error LS-0013 (Launch Failed)

Quick Fix

Verify your game files first — this fixes LS-0013 in most cases: 1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and click Library. 2. Click the three dots next to the affected game. 3. Click Verify and wait for it to finish, then relaunch the game. If that does not work, close the launcher, right-click its shortcut, choose Run as administrator, and try again.

What this error means

LS-0013 error code indicates the game is unable to launch. You'll typically see a message like 'Launch Failed - Could not launch [game name]. Please verify the installation.' This error in Epic Games Launcher typically occurs when the launcher fails to properly execute the startup process required to run a game, preventing you from playing any game linked to your Epic Games account. The most common causes include a game process still running in the background, corrupted launcher or game cache, missing administrator privileges, or issues with the storage drive. It affects many titles including Fortnite, Rocket League, GTA V, Hogwarts Legacy, and Fall Guys, not just one specific game.

Step-by-Step Guide

Fix 1: Verify the game's installation files

  1. 1Open the Epic Games Launcher. You'll encounter this error if the installation of the game is not complete, and there are one or two missing files. Verifying scans for and repairs these. Open the Epic Games Launcher.
  2. 2Click Library.
  3. 3Click the three dots next to the game you want to verify.
  4. 4Click Verify.
  5. 5Depending on the size of the game, this process may take a while. Once the verification operation is complete, relaunch your game. The game should launch without the error.

Fix 2: Run the Launcher (and game) as Administrator

  1. 1Close the Epic Games Launcher completely. Granting the Epic Games Launcher administrator privileges addresses permission conflicts that can block games from launching, and running it as administrator ensures it can access all required files and system resources, which has resolved LS-0013 for many users. Close the Epic Games Launcher completely if it's running.
  2. 2Right-click the launcher shortcut. Right-click the Epic Games Launcher shortcut on your desktop or in the Start Menu.
  3. 3Select Run as administrator.
  4. 4Try launching the game again.
  5. 5Enable administrator mode or disable for Fortnite. If it works, go to the shortcut's Properties > Compatibility tab and check Run this program as an administrator so it happens automatically. Special case for Fortnite: for fixing the LS-0013 error when it occurs with Fortnite, disabling (not enabling) Fortnite's admin privileges is an official LS-0013 resolution from Epic. Having 'Run as Administrator' enabled on the game's executables can cause LS-0013 for Fortnite specifically — so if Fix 2 doesn't help, try un-checking admin mode for FortniteLauncher.exe located in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64 instead.

Fix 3: Close conflicting background apps and processes

  1. 1If the game or launcher is still running in the background, the system may block a new launch attempt, so ending those processes ensures a clean restart. Software such as antivirus programs, firewalls, or peripheral drivers (like RGB lighting software or specialized mouse drivers) can conflict with Epic's services or Easy Anti-Cheat, leading to LS-0013, and temporarily disabling or uninstalling these applications can help isolate the cause. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
  2. 2End leftover game and launcher processes. End any leftover processes for the game, the launcher, or overlay/booster tools such as MSI Afterburner or Discord overlays.
  3. 3Temporarily disable antivirus and firewall and retry launching the game.
  4. 4If that fixes it, add the Epic Games Launcher and the game's .exe to your antivirus's exception list before re-enabling protection.

Fix 4: Clear the launcher's webcache

  1. 1Close the Epic Games Launcher. Clearing a corrupted webcache folder will likely resolve the LS-0013 error for you. Fully close the Epic Games Launcher (check Task Manager to be sure it isn't still running).
  2. 2Open the webcache folder. Press Win + R, type %localappdata%\EpicGamesLauncher\Saved\webcache and press Enter.
  3. 3Delete the contents of webcache. Delete the contents of this folder (or the whole webcache folder).
  4. 4Restart the launcher and try again. Restart the launcher and try launching the game again.

Fix 5: Restart PC and check for updates

  1. 1Restart your PC and relaunch the game. Close Epic Games Launcher completely, restart your PC, then open Epic Games Launcher and try launching the game again.
  2. 2Update the launcher and game. Make sure both your Epic Games Launcher and the affected game are fully updated, as outdated versions can also trigger this error.
  3. 3Update your graphics drivers, since outdated drivers have also been linked to launch failures on some systems.

Fix 6: Reinstall on a different drive

  1. 1Uninstall the affected game. If your current storage drive is failing or has bad sectors, the launcher might not be able to read certain files, so reinstalling both the game and the launcher on a different drive ensures clean, error-free data. Uninstall the affected game from the Epic Games Launcher library.
  2. 2Uninstall the Epic Games Launcher. Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl, press Enter, and uninstall the Epic Games Launcher.
  3. 3Download and reinstall the launcher, choosing a different drive than before.
  4. 4Reinstall the game and confirm error is resolved. After signing in, reinstall your game to the new location, then launch the game to confirm that the LS-0013 error no longer appears.

When to seek further help

If none of the above works: check Epic Games' server status, since ongoing outages can also trigger launch failures, or contact Epic Games Support directly with your DxDiag and launcher logs. This is platform-specific to Windows PC (Mac users should adapt file paths accordingly); console versions of these games do not use the Epic Games Launcher and won't show this exact error code.

Sources:

Heads up: this guide was drafted with AI assistance from the real sources listed below, and structured by our team for clarity. It may not cover every possible cause — if it doesn't fix your issue, let us know and we'll take a closer look. See how we create our fixes.

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