[Bug]: Epic Games broken after auto update

[gabbsmo]

The problem

Epic Games is a particularly naughty package. It is available as "Epic Games Store" in the Microsoft Store. On launching it installs two applications: "Epic Games Launcher" and "Epic Games Online Services". Launcher is a winget package but not Online Services.

I thought it was an accident first but now I have seen twice in a row that updating the "Epic Games Launcher" package breaks the shortcut to EpicGamesLauncher.exe - which seems to be deleted.

Another symptom is that the button that normally shows "installed" on the Epic Games Store page in Microsoft Store is just a blank box.

What version of WAU has the issue?

2.10.0

What version of Windows are you using (ex. Windows 11 22H2)?

Windows 11 25H2

What version of winget are you using?

1.28.220

Log information

2026-03-22 17:35:22.750 [CORE] Passed in Correlation Vector Json is valid: {"wingetId":"XP99VR1BPSBQJ2","info":{"storeId":"XP99VR1BPSBQJ2","storeCv":"V4tZy2EeOEyr2ubuuuS8gw"}}
2026-03-22 17:35:22.750 [CORE] WinGet, version [1.28.220], activity [{DBCB87B5-601D-4E7A-A887-15CAE5E5200A}]
2026-03-22 17:35:22.750 [CORE] Process: WindowsPackageManagerServer.exe[18940], Offset: 00007FF9CB830000
2026-03-22 17:35:22.750 [CORE] OS: Windows.Desktop v10.0.26200.8037
2026-03-22 17:35:22.750 [CORE] Command line Args: "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_1.28.220.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerServer.exe" -Embedding
2026-03-22 17:35:22.751 [CORE] Package: Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller v1.28.220.0
2026-03-22 17:35:22.751 [CORE] IsCOMCall:1; Caller: Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe
2026-03-22 17:35:22.774 [CLI ] Executing command: download
2026-03-22 17:35:22.775 [CLI ] Package agreements accepted by CLI flag
2026-03-22 17:35:22.799 [CLI ] Generated temp download path: C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0\7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82
2026-03-22 17:35:22.799 [CLI ] Installer download headers: 
2026-03-22 17:35:22.799 [CORE] Downloading to path: C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0\7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82
2026-03-22 17:35:22.799 [CORE] DeliveryOptimization downloading from url: https://cdn.storeedgefd.dsx.mp.microsoft.com/wus2/cachedpackages/d36fcc10-a805-47ce-924f-9be09c8ea60f_7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82
2026-03-22 17:35:26.556 [CORE] Download completed.
2026-03-22 17:35:26.736 [CORE] Started applying motw to C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0\7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82 with zone: 3
2026-03-22 17:35:26.738 [CORE] Finished applying motw
2026-03-22 17:35:26.738 [CLI ] Installer hash verified
2026-03-22 17:35:26.738 [CORE] Started applying motw to C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0\7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82 with zone: 2
2026-03-22 17:35:26.739 [CORE] Finished applying motw
2026-03-22 17:35:26.740 [CLI ] Successfully renamed downloaded installer. Path: C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0\d36fcc10-a805-47ce-924f-9be09c8ea60f_7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82.msi
2026-03-22 17:35:26.740 [CLI ] Executing command: install
2026-03-22 17:35:26.826 [CLI ] Installer hash verified
2026-03-22 17:35:26.826 [REPO] Creating new SQLite Index with version [Latest] at ':memory:'
2026-03-22 17:35:26.829 [REPO] Reading MSI UpgradeCodes
2026-03-22 17:35:26.843 [REPO] Reading MSI UpgradeCodes
2026-03-22 17:35:26.867 [CLI ] Installer args: /passive /log "C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\DiagOutputDir\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0-26-03-22-17-35-26.log"
2026-03-22 17:35:44.637 [REPO] Creating new SQLite Index with version [Latest] at ':memory:'
2026-03-22 17:35:44.640 [REPO] Reading MSI UpgradeCodes
2026-03-22 17:35:44.663 [REPO] Reading MSI UpgradeCodes
2026-03-22 17:35:44.680 [CLI ] During package install, 1 changes to ARP were observed, 1 matches were found for the package, and 1 packages were in both
2026-03-22 17:35:44.680 [CLI ] The entry determined to be associated with the package is 'Epic Games Launcher', with publisher 'Epic Games, Inc.'
2026-03-22 17:35:44.684 [REPO] Opening database for ReadWrite at 'C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\StoreEdgeFD\installed.db'
2026-03-22 17:35:44.684 [REPO] Opened SQLite Index with version [1.7], last write [2026-03-22 10:24:22.000]
2026-03-22 17:35:44.702 [CLI ] Removing installer: C:\Users\gabri\AppData\Local\Temp\WinGet\XP99VR1BPSBQJ2.1.3.175.0\d36fcc10-a805-47ce-924f-9be09c8ea60f_7a5c6881412ad1956a9ab22cd73aeb060fde98c001bc7409fe94c479bd97df82.msi

Additional information

Not sure if this should be considered a bug in the winget packages themselves, or WAC. Either way, it looks like there was some change to Epic Games that made it unsafe to update outside the launcher app. Another option is blacklisting Epic Games Store's releated winget packages, but I realize this is a last resort as per Romanitho.

[x15rte]

this issue has been around for a while

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open for 30 days with no activity.

[leonardo-gooten]

happened to me just now..

[gabbsmo]

From what I understand this should not be adressed from here since the issue would occur if you updated the package manually as well. Opened a issue with the winget package itself.