Game Window Doesn't Open/Launch After Pressing 'PLAY' through Steam

[IronTagerOGS]

[EDIT] New Temporary Solution; must be redone if you 'Validate file integrity'

TL;DR: After clicking the Cog/Gear icon for the game -> Go to 'Manage' -> 'Browse local files' -> Open Folder labeled "EpicOnlineServices" -> Right Click within folders space -> Click 'New' -> 'Text Document' -> Rename the new Document "EpicOnlineServicesInstaller.exe" to include the ' .exe' suffix instead of the ' .txt' suffix -> Error Message: "If you change a file name extension, the file might become unusable. Are you sure you want to change it?" -> Click 'Yes' -> Close the file browser -> Click 'Play' from Steam Library. Hope this helps! x2

Wait a couple seconds or so and the game will launch without having to fiddle with Task Manager every time. We've just made a 'dummby file' in place of the executable file that the game will recognize in name only and brush past the failure loop that was keeping the game from launching. Idk what is looping the Epic stuff, but its stuck in a failure cycle with launching through Steam is my best guess. I think what will happen is that any linking through Epic wont work in game. So, no Epic friends list. Possibly no Epic Multiplayer connection? I'll check and update/delete this part after I test. Again, we're making a "fake" file to get past the bottleneck.

[EDIT] Older Second Solution; Still Works

TL;DR: After clicking 'Play' on Steam -> Open Task Manager -> Look for "Epic Online Services Host" <OR> "Epic Online Services Install Helper" -> Click 'End Task'. Game window should now open/launch. Hope this helps!

I just wanted to create this Discussion as a solution/workaround that I've found on my own through trial and error. This was after doing the usual Uninstall/Reinstall; Validate installed files; check if drivers are up to date; disable Steam Overlay, etc. I opened Task Manager and scrolled down to find the process for the game after having clicked 'Play' and not had the game open for over 10 mins. Couldn't find it but saw that Epic Games was running when not having opened the launcher or done anything for it to start a process. I get that the game is linked to Epic in some way, but still. I saw one of the processes and clicked 'End Task' because why was it open and running without my known, deliberate input? Sure enough, the game window opened and was downloading shaders. Not sure why this happened to work, I'm far from I.T. I just build and play on these things with minor surface level research here and there. My best guess is that the 'Service Host' and 'Install Helper' processes are "taking too much attention" from my - now close to 6 years old - CPU and 'distracted' it on what process needed to open. I'm sure someone will enlighten me in the comments, lol. Hope this helps!

[agenttobey]

cannot launch game ether. can't find Epic Online Services Host" <OR> "Epic Online Services Install Helper" ,just find "epic online services main service", and in 5seconds, game stoped.no matter try end the task, game still cannot launch......

[Pl4gu3_D0g]

Wildly enough, this sort of worked for me. I closed *both* instances of Epic Games services and the Unreal service and voila, games loading. Typical Epic slop.

[agenttobey]

still, both not working for me