Add Any Epic Launcher Game to Steam, Even Ones That Are Glitchy When Added By Game EXE

This will add any Epic Game to Steam with all features intact (like Epic cloud saves, etc.) while also allowing Steam Overlay features (like custom controller profiles, screenshots, friends, etc.), especially for games that don't work properly when added to Steam by using the game's *.exe directly.

Intro

Sadly not all games work well from other services when you try to add them by using their *.exe (executable) directly.

This method will add any Epic Game to Steam with all features intact (like Epic cloud saves, etc.) while also allowing Steam Overlay features (like custom controller profiles, screenshots, friends, etc.), especially for games that don't work properly when added to Steam by using the game's *.exe directly.

Caveat: If your game works well by adding the *.exe directly to Steam, the Epic game doesn't have cloud saves, and you don't care much about any other Epic features (like updates, etc.), I would recommend just adding the the game's *.exe directly to Steam instead (sometimes an extra launch option of -epicportal is need to make it run without Epic Launcher). BUT if you do need any of those things or run into any weird issues, this guide fixes all of that by hooking Steam directly into the Epic Launcher and then automatically launching the game.

Extra Plus With GOG!!!
This works with GOG too, but you run GalaxyClient.exe and use the launch argument code from the desktop GOG shortcut that looks more like this
/command=runGame /gameId=1234567890 /path="C:\PathToGame"

Process

1️⃣-------------------------- Step 1 --------------------------1️⃣

Copy a special launch code that's inside the properties for the game's desktop shortcut that is typically created by the Epic Launcher during install. It can also be made again later by using the "manage" option for its Epic Launcher entry for the game.

Do this by right clicking on the game's Epic-made desktop icon, going to properties, and copying the entire (some is hidden) code from the "URL:" section of the properties window.



It will look like this:

com.epicgames.launcher://apps/UniqueGameCode?action=launch&silent=true

WARNING this will need to have a dash ... - ... added to the front of this code during 4️⃣Step 44️⃣ when it is pasted into the launch option so it will look like this instead

-com.epicgames.launcher://apps/UniqueGameCode?action=launch&silent=true

and the UniqueGameCode will be different for each game.


2️⃣-------------------------- Step 2 --------------------------2️⃣

Add the Epic Games Launcher as a Non-Steam game using the option in the bottom left of the main Steam window:



You will need to do this again for each new game so that each game has its own entry.


3️⃣-------------------------- Step 3 --------------------------3️⃣

Choose the Epic Games Launcher and "Add Selected Programs"




4️⃣-------------------------- Step 4 --------------------------4️⃣

Go to the properties of this newly added Non-Steam game labeled "Epic Games Launcher" by either right-click --> properties or by using the gear icon and choosing properties. You will then paste the code with a dash ... - ... added the front into the launch options as well as changing the name of the new entry (and you could change the icon at this stage or later in 6️⃣Step 66️⃣, I always do):



5️⃣-------------------------- Step 5 --------------------------5️⃣

Make sure that the Epic Launcher is closed, and then try to run this new entry. The Epic Launcher will load first and then shortly after the game will load. WARNING the Epic Launcher must be closed before launching a game this way because we want Steam to first hook into the Epic Launcher and then (as a result) hook into the game that will automatically launch. You must also manually close the Epic Launcher afterwards (sometimes it needs a few seconds to cloud sync).



If all goes well, you will have access to all Epic Launcher features (like cloud saving, etc.) as well as the Steam Overlay and all its features like custom controller profiles, screenshots, friends, etc!


6️⃣-------------------------- Step 6 ⭐OPTIONAL⭐ --------------------------6️⃣

⭐OPTIONAL⭐ (but highly recommended) change the game art and icon. The website steamgriddb.com is extremely helpful at this stage, but really any art will do. I recently discovered that site after Nintendo hit them with take-down notices and have been using it ever since. I haven't tried their plugin that will apply art automatically yet, I'm still doing it manually as detailed below:

The icon is changed by clicking on the icon in the properties window we used in 4️⃣Step 44️⃣.

The hero art and logo can be changed by right clicking in the blank space after selecting the entry.



The grid art can be changed by right clicking on the entry after you have selected its category.



The header art is trickier to find, but you will see it show up after launching the game and clicking on the home button for Steam (it's in the recent games category so you may have to scroll to see it) and then you can right click and customize the header art.



Now your entry will look all fancy!

Background

I originally had a harder method posted here using symlinks (which still works but is trickier to use).
I tested out this currently posted easier method for a year and so finally got around to updating it.

For those curious, or if there was something useful in there that you still needed to reference, I've left them below this Background section marked DEPRECATED.

I also posted this guide in the Borderlands 3 Community Hub because that's the most recent game I played that I have on both Epic and Steam.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2900545282

DEPRECATED Process after 2022-12-11 easier method update

This deprecated (not needed) was from the older, harder method but I left it here in case there was something useful.

------ TL;DR version starts here but Details, explanation, and background starts farther down ------

Open windows CMD in administrator mode (need admin since it’s making the symlink in a program folder).

Use this code to make a symlink to Epic Launcher in the Epic Launcher folder with a custom name based upon the game you are adding (in this example AlienIsolation.exe):

mklink "C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\AlienIsolation.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\EpicGamesLauncher.exe"

Then add non-Steam game with:

Target =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\AlienIsolation.exe"

^^ that symlink we just made

Start In =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\"

Launch Options =
-com.epicgames.launcher://apps/8935bb3e1420443a9789fe01758039a5?action=launch&silent=true

^^this custom launch option code is what you see after inspecting the properties of the default shortcut Epic makes on desktop (plus a dash “ - “ at the front), this is what I saw for Alien Isolation but it’ll depend on the game

Now you can add as many Epic games that require the launcher as you want, just be sure to close the Epic Launcher after you’re done playing to clear the Steam overlay and running game from the Epic Launcher and Steam.

DEPRECATED Background after 2022-12-11 easier method update

This deprecated (not needed) was from the older, harder method but I left it here in case there was something useful.

---------------- Background and explanation of other methods starts here, TL;DR at top --------

For adding various Epic Launcher games to Steam, I usually just try to add the game’s executable after it’s installed and try to run it without Epic Launcher

Use the bottom left corner
"Add A Game" option on Steam
"Add a Non-Steam Game"
then navigate to the game's exe folder
For instance, I have installed Alien Isolation to my D drive (not my system C drive) in "D:\Gamez\Epic Gamez\AlienIsolation\AI.exe"

Some games need a custom launch option to disable launching it through epic … -epicportal … and it becomes effectively DRM free, but a lot of games will just runs straight away with no need for -epicportal (however no epic cloud saves).

However, although this will launch the game, it sometimes breaks things, like the save game function for Alien Isolation. It also doesn't use the cloud sync feature from the Epic Launcher for any game added this way. This is not the only game that has had a qwerk like this.

My previous solution was to add the Epic Launcher itself as an executable to Steam, and then use a custom launch option ripped from the default Epic Launcher made desktop icon with a dash “ - “ added at the front to immediately and automatically launch the game.

For instance, my custom shortcut info for Alien Isolation would be (seen by right clicking the non Steam game entry in Steam and choosing properties):

Target =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\EpicGamesLauncher.exe"

Start In =
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win32\"

Launch Options =
-com.epicgames.launcher://apps/8935bb3e1420443a9789fe01758039a5?action=launch&silent=true

^^this code is what you see after inspecting the properties of the default shortcut Epic makes on desktop (plus a dash “ - “ at the front)

This works, with two caveats.
#1 You must close the epic launcher manually after playing the game otherwise the launcher is running in the background as a steam game with the overlay (it’s weird)
#2 The next time this happens with a game you want to add, you must either delete the shortcut, change it, etc.

Update 2022-07-15 MAYBE GOOD NEWS! It looks like we can now add a particular non-Steam game multiple times. So instead of having to delete the epic launch shortcut each time, I've recently just been adding the Epic Launcher as a non-Steam game over and over, while changing the special launch option each time to match the special code Epic creates when putting a shortcut on the desktop (as well as changing the name, icon, art, etc. of course). I can also still use custom startup options in games as well (like I did in Borderlands 3 recently) by using the special launch options through the Epic Launcher interface.

This means that there's probably no more need for the symlink portion (fake super shortcut)! I'm still testing it but haven't run into any issues for quite a few months. If some of you would like to try it and see if you run into any issues we can test it out. I'll wait to update the rest of the guide until I confirm that that are no issues compared to the symlink (fake super shortcut) way.

This is bad for many reasons. You’d only be able to have one Epic Launcher game at a time. Or it would mess up my process of puting my finished games in various good/bad/playlater categories, and because there’s only one epic launcher executable, steam can’t keep track of it.

I’ve found a way to fix #2 by creating a fake executable (symlink) named after the new game I want to add in the same folder as the epic launcher executable. This symlink is basically a hardcore shortcut that I make point to the epic launcher instead of the game. Then I point the non-steam game dialog chooser to the fake executable named after the game (but actually it’s technically pointing at the launcher). I then add the funky launch option (ripped from Epic Launcher’s default desktop shortcut) I described above with a dash at the front to its custom Launch Options in its properties.

To see the better process, go back up to the TL;DR version.

[Ducain]

Ha, good to hear it's working with Fortnite finally again!

[Ducain]

Thanks for finding that manual method, and that research to scope the culprit! Bookmarking that thread to maybe try sometime in case I ever need to manually do one that doesn't work and really, really need the overlay. Usually when Steam Overlay doesn't work I just take screenshots with a different method and/or manipulate the desktop configuration for my controller so that way controller works no matter what, and I set mouse or controller keybinds to take the windows-based screenshots and then manually clean them up later.

Luckily it's rare that I have to do that. Epic has been pretty good about it hooking in until that Fortnite stuff (and maybe one other?). Have mostly had to do that weird workaround method with Xbox Gamepass for PC games when I get free months for it (no way I'd pay for it). However, recently Doom Eternal (got it for free recently) Xbox for PC version worked with the Steam Overlay, so maybe they've improved theirs, but I'm not betting on it.

[Ducain]

Yeah same thing happened with the fps counter showing in the epic launcher but then gone when fortnite launched, even tried launching lego fortnite directly, both exes, etc. but no dice. I even tried just adding the epic launcher only (fps counter seen in top right / overlay working) and then clicking game launch inside epic, but it loses it. If the game doesn't work that way, it's most likely toast if the direct to game exe method also doesn't work. For instance with the EA App, I have to just add the EA App and manually click whichever game I'm playing, that one doesn't have launch arguements and direct to exe's rarely work ... annoying, but works!

[IchigoMait]

Mostly seems to be because of winlicense.
"hello SebBergy (Epic Games)

Found the cause.

Steam overlay doesn't work when winlicense is applied. tested in several ways.

1. Combination of EAC+Winlicense (Steam overlay succeeds normally when Anti-Cheat Configuration Disable all, on the contrary, Steam overlay fails when Enable all is set)

2. EAC only

(steam overlay success)



Q: Are there any problems using EAC and winlicense (Themida) together?



Added: I am using an older version of winlicense (2.3.1.0)."

[IchigoMait]

Also a list why steam overlay doesn't work, basically devs have trouble with it.
https://eoshelp.epicgames.com/s/question/0D54z00008UJawJCAT/im-trying-to-service-a-game-on-steamhowever-steam-overlay-shifttab-does-not-work-when-eac-is-applied?language=en_US

[IchigoMait]

What about this?
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/1698294337793437434/

Though sadly it requires you to check the pid number for every time.

Probably it gets disabled anyway.

As I can otherwise see the fps counter in the taskbar for epic games notification bar, but when I actually open the epic games as a window, then the fps counter is a for a sec there, and then it's gone.

Though the above method should allow you to add it even while it's running.

[Ducain]

@IchigoMait
Actually yeah I see what you mean! Tried it a few different ways with Fortnite, Lego Fortnite, etc. but no dice. Weird too, because it used to work in the past (played LEGO Fortnite a while back with the Steam Overlay). I wonder if it's when they switched to that new Fortnite Launcher thing and it's messing with it. I think this trick has only not worked with this and maybe one other (can't remember). How ironic that it's their flagship game ... or well ... maybe not ironic

[IchigoMait]

so do yo know how to make steam overlay work with epic games launcher or fortnite?
tried all the variants, but non of them work in terms of the overlay

[Ducain]

@ [DN] A
If I'm understand what you mean properly, then no, adding a non-steam game doesn't unlock those types of things via Steam like Steam Achievements, Steam workshop, Steam playtime tracking, etc..

The main reason I add all my games to Steam are for the features that still do apply for non-Steam games added like Steampinput (for easy controller configuration), screenshots/recording, category tracking, launching, and probably some other things I'm forgetting.

Oh one weird one is that some games launched directly from executable have different capabilities, like Planet Crafter will let you directly connect via LAN when launched that way, so I have an official Steam Planet Crafter entry and my manually created one for LAN play.

Hopefully that's what you were meaning, but if not I can try another stab at it!

[[DN] A]

from what i understand, i cant make a preexisting steam game, that i got on epic games, the "proper" steam game by adding it, along with all the unlockable achievements and stuff right?