Epic deploys hotfix to address store launcher "bug" that hikes CPU usage and temperatures for some PCs

Epic Games has released a patch to mitigate an issue with the latest version of its Epic Games Store launcher that's affecting PC hardware.  

The issue – which seems to drives up CPU usage and system temperatures – was first detailed on Reddit (thanks, PC Gamer), prompting several users to concur that they too were having problems with temperature and battery life on PC laptops.

"Taking a look at the task manager, we noted that the Epic Games launcher is lighting up cores and keeping some of them lit even while seemingly doing nothing, and not even updating a game in the background," noted HotHardware, adding that the launcher seemed to be "firing off data at regular intervals to over 22 different servers". 

Epic's Sergiy Galyonkin has since updated players by confirming that a hotfix has now been deployed, but acknowledged "it's not a full solution".

"Well, I've read through the internal thread on this, so I understand the basics (the browser module kept thinking it's open when minimized, essentially) but I'm not entirely sure what was causing it," Galyonkin added in a later response on Twitter. "No portal to the underworld, as far as I know :)"

ICYMI, the details of Epic Games Stores' festive giveaway leaked online a few days back, and there are still freebies available between now and the end of the year. 

A number of games have already been up for grabs, including Cities: Skyline, Oddworld: New N Tasty, and The Long Dark, Alien Isolation, and Defense Grid 1. Right now, Torchlight 2 is going for the low, low price of free, with Jurassic World Evolution speculated to be tomorrow's final freebie.

Looking for something new to get stuck into? Here are the best PC games right now.