403 forbidden epic games launcher

A "403 Forbidden" error in the Epic Games Launcher is a common but frustrating issue. It means your computer is being blocked from accessing Epic's servers, even though you have the correct URL. Heres a step-by-step guide to fix it, starting with the most common and easiest solutions. The Universal First Step: Restart Everything This fixes a huge percentage of issues. Close the Epic Games Launcher completely (right-click its icon in the system tray and select "Exit"). Restart your computer. Restart your router/modem. Unplug it for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Try launching the launcher again. Check Epic Games Server Status Before you spend time troubleshooting your system, make sure the problem isn't on Epic's end. Visit the official Epic Games Status Page. Look for any services marked with Degraded Performance or Outage, especially "Launcher," "Website," and "Login." Disable VPN, Proxy, or Unusual Network Software A 403 error is often a network-level block. If you're using a VPN, proxy, or custom DNS (like for ad-blocking, e.g., Pi-hole), temporarily disable it and try again. Some VPN IP addresses can be blocked by Epic's security systems. Flush Your DNS Cache Your computer might be using an old, incorrect address for Epic's servers. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt as Administrator. Type the following command and press Enter: Restart the launcher. Allow Epic Games Through Your Firewall & Antivirus Your security software might be incorrectly blocking the launcher. Windows Defender Firewall: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall. Make sure both EpicGamesLauncher.exe and UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe are allowed on Private and Public networks. Third-Party Antivirus: Temporarily disable your antivirus/firewall (like Norton, McAfee, Avast, etc.) to test if it's the cause. If it is, add the Epic Games Launcher folder to its exception/whitelist. Clear the Epic Games Launcher's Web Cache The launcher has a built-in web browser that can get corrupted. Fully exit the Epic Games Launcher. Navigate to this folder on your PC: C:Users[YOUR_USERNAME]AppDataLocalEpicGamesLauncherSavedwebcache (Replace [YOUR_USERNAME] with your actual Windows username. You can paste %localappdata%EpicGamesLauncherSaved into the File Explorer address bar). Delete the entire webcache folder (or rename it to webcache_old). Restart the launcher. It will create a new cache. Repair the Epic Games Launcher Open Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Find "Epic Games Launcher" in the list and click it. Click Advanced options (if available in your Windows version). Click Repair. If that doesn't work, try Reset. Check Your Hosts File (Advanced) Malware or some software can modify the hosts file to block connections. Open Notepad as an Administrator. Click File > Open and navigate to C:WindowsSystem32driversetc. In the file type dropdown, select *All Files (.). Open the file named hosts. Look for any line containing epicgames.com, unrealengine.com, or similar. If you see any (and you didn't put them there), add a # at the beginning of the line to comment it out. Example: Change 127.0.0.1 epicgames.com to #127.0.0.1 epicgames.com Save the file and restart your PC. Reinstall the Epic Games Launcher As a last resort, do a clean reinstall. Uninstall the launcher via Windows Settings. Manually delete any leftover folders: C:Program Files (x86)Epic Games C:Users[YOUR_USERNAME]AppDataLocalEpicGamesLauncher C:Users[YOUR_USERNAME]AppDataRoamingEpic Download the latest installer from the official Epic Games website. Install and run it. If You're on a School, Work, or Public Network The network administrator may be actively blocking gaming services. You will likely need to use a different network (like your home Wi-Fi or mobile data via tethering). Start with steps 1, 2, and 3. If those don't work, proceed down the list. The DNS flush and web cache clear are very effective for this specific error.