Verify Fortnite’s game files in Epic Games Launcher first.
LS-0013 means Epic Games Launcher could not start Fortnite. Open the Launcher → Library → Fortnite’s three-dot menu → Manage → Verify. If that does not help, clear the launcher cache, update Windows and investigate a launch-permission or background-app conflict. Epic lists these as normal troubleshooting steps for LS-0013 ↗.
What happens when you press Launch?
Pick the closest symptom. You can start with verification either way.
4 easy things to try, in order
These are the same simple priorities Epic recommends, reorganized into an easy reading order.
Verify Fortnite’s installed files
Open Epic Games Launcher and go to Library. Select the three-dot menu beside Fortnite, choose Manage, then Verify. Let the check finish completely and retry Launch. This repairs missing or corrupted game files without wiping your account progress.
Epic’s LS-0013 support guide ↗ starts with verifying the game.
Clear the Epic Games Launcher cache
Close the Epic Games Launcher fully, including its tray process. Follow Epic’s official Launcher cache-clearing instructions, reopen the Launcher and test Fortnite again. Cache cleanup is different from deleting your Fortnite installation or personal files.
Start from Epic’s device-cache help ↗ and select the PC Launcher cache instructions.
Update Windows and restart
Install pending Windows updates through Settings → Windows Update. Restart your PC, then launch Epic Games Launcher before opening monitoring tools, overlays or other optional software. If the error began after a patch, make sure the Fortnite update itself completed.
Do not delete configuration folders or game saves to fix a launch error.
Check administrator options and interference
Epic suggests testing the Launcher as administrator in some cases, but it also documents a Fortnite-specific conflict when Run this program as an administrator is permanently enabled for game executables. Review that checkbox in Properties → Compatibility; test a normal launch afterward. Close nonessential overlays or utilities one at a time to identify interference.
Epic explains the Fortnite-specific administrator checkbox ↗ and background-app steps.
You do not need to reinstall Windows, disable antivirus protection or download unknown repair tools just because LS-0013 appears. Begin with Epic’s official Launcher checks.
If LS-0013 still will not go away
These details help separate a Launcher problem from a different Fortnite failure.
Fortnite says “Running” but there is no window.
That can be a separate startup symptom. Epic recommends file verification and may refer users to Easy Anti-Cheat repair in its Fortnite PC troubleshooting ↗. Note whether LS-0013 appears or the game closes silently.
Should Epic Games Launcher always run as administrator?
No. A one-time elevated launch is a troubleshooting test, not a universal permanent setting. In some Fortnite cases, forced administrator privileges on game executables actually need to be switched off.
Can an overlay or security product block launch?
Yes. Temporarily exit nonessential overlays or background utilities and test. Do not turn off Windows security protections as a default fix.
What if file verification finds nothing?
Move to Launcher cache, Windows updates and permission checks. A successful Verify result only rules out some file-integrity problems; it does not diagnose every launch cause.
Still getting LS-0013?
Take a screenshot of the exact LS-0013 message and note when it began, your Windows version, whether Verify completed, and whether the game switches from “Running” back to “Launch.”
Epic’s official LS-0013 page ↗Quick FAQs
What does Fortnite LS-0013 mean?
The Epic Games Launcher could not start the game correctly. It does not automatically mean your account is locked or the entire installation is lost.
Will Verify delete my skins or progress?
No. Fortnite cosmetics are associated with your Epic account. Verification checks installed files rather than transferring or removing account ownership.
Do I need to reinstall Fortnite?
Usually not as a first step. Verify files and clear the Launcher cache before considering a full reinstall.
Why did LS-0013 start after an update?
A partial download, cache issue or changed permissions can become noticeable after an update. The timing is a clue, not proof of one cause.
Is LS-0013 the same as an anti-cheat integrity error?
No. LS-0013 is a launch error in Epic Games Launcher. An explicit Easy Anti-Cheat message has a separate troubleshooting path.
Official support sources
- LS-0013: Game is unable to launch — Epic Games
- Fortnite PC crashes and errors — Epic Games
- Launcher and device cache help — Epic Games
Original Walker Bex article. Reviewed October 10, 2026. Follow the current official support guidance if menus or troubleshooting instructions change.