The Epic Games Store 500 error is appearing for many users, with the platform experiencing unscheduled downtime that is preventing players from enjoying online games or making purchases from the store. The error is likely appearing due to the influx of players rushing to download and install the latest free game: Grand Theft Auto 5. With GTA 5 being such a huge get for the platform, it’s no wonder players are eager to get playing. If you’re faced with the 500 error and seeing the “An unexpected error has occurred message,” here’s how you can go about fixing it.
How to fix Epic Games Store 500 Error
It’s not you, it’s the Epic Games Store. As explained in the tweet embedded below, the Epic Games Store is experiencing high traffic that is causing issues. With so many players trying to access the platform, presumably to claim GTA 5 for free, the store is struggling to handle the load, resulting in Error 500, the launcher crashing, and/or slow loading times.
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The best thing you can do in order to fix this error is to simply leave the Epic Games Store alone for the time being. While the new free game is certainly a big one, it will still be available up until May 21, which means you’ll have a week to claim it and play.
We’d recommend waiting for at least an hour or two before trying the Epic Games Store again. Meanwhile, you can monitor the official @EpicGames Twitter account for up to date information on the current state of the store. When it’s stable, that account will surely let you know.
We are currently experiencing high traffic on the Epic Games Store.
We are aware that users may be encountering slow loading times, 500 errors, or launcher crashing at this time and we are actively working to scale. We'll provide an update as soon as we can.
— SpoOoky Epic Games Store 👻 (@EpicGames) May 14, 2020
If you’re worried about missing out on GTA 5, do remember that it will be available for the next week. Presumably, if the errors continue, Epic Games would extend the offer, though that isn’t a guarantee!
