Gamers encountered significant disruptions on Saturday as the Epic Games Store and launcher faced a widespread outage, with many users reporting the frustrating ‘AS-3 error’. This issue arose just as the highly anticipated Fortnite crossover event featuring characters from The Simpsons was scheduled to launch.
According to Downdetector, over 6,000 users reported problems with Epic Games services, with the number remaining high at the time of reporting. The ‘AS-3 error’ specifically points to a network connection issue or a need to clear the web cache, as indicated by Epic Games’ support documentation.
Players took to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to voice their frustration. One user stated, “I can’t login to the epic app at all. Every time I try it gives error code AS-3 or it says error. When can I expect a fix?” Another commented, “I can’t even log in to the launcher. Like why?? Epic launcher, PC – Error Code: AS-3. I was in the launcher – click on Fortnite and now I can’t get in.”
Troubleshooting the AS-3 Error
Epic Games suggests a potential fix involving clearing the launcher’s web cache. This process involves:
- Exiting the Epic Games Launcher completely by right-clicking its system tray icon and selecting ‘Exit’.
- Pressing the Windows key + R, then typing “%localappdata%” and pressing Enter to open a File Explorer window.
- Navigating to the “Epic Games Launcher” folder, then the “Saved” folder, and deleting the “webcache” folder.
- Restarting the computer and the Epic Games Launcher.
If these steps do not resolve the issue, Epic Games advises users to consult their connection troubleshooting guides. However, it’s important to note that the widespread nature of the AS-3 error suggests that the primary cause is likely on Epic Games’ end rather than individual user network problems.
Epic Games Store Update
Amidst the outage, the Epic Games Store provided an update, stating, “We are still working on restoring access to EGS, along with several games including Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys.” They apologized for the inconvenience and promised further updates on their status page.
While the Fortnite servers were initially expected to have a five-hour downtime for the Simpsons event, players will now likely need to wait for the broader Epic Games Store and launcher issues to be resolved before they can access the game and its new content.