Why am I getting the error MENU_AUTHENTICATION_FAILED_EPIC when launching Alan Wake 2?

This error message means Alan Wake 2 failed to connect with your Epic Games account. Third-party overlays may prevent the game from connecting properly. Overlays are programs that typically display information while playing a game. There are a few troubleshooting steps that may resolve this issue:

  1. Disable third-party overlays temporarily and restart the game:

    1. Right-click the Windows icon

    2. Click Task Manager

    3. Click the More Details link in the lower left corner

    4. Click any unknown apps on the list

    5. Click the End Task button in the lower right corner

  2. Launch the game directly from the install folder:

    1. If you're unsure where you installed the game, in the Epic Games Launcher go to Library

    2. Click the three dots next to the Alan Wake 2 tile and select Manage

    3. Next to Installation, click the folder icon next to Uninstall (hovering over it will display Open Install Location)

    4. In the game folder, click AlanWake2.exe

  3. Update and manually launch the EOS Overlay:

    1. From your Epic Games installation folder, open Launcher\Portal\Extras\EOS\ and run EpicOnlineServices.msi and allow the update to complete.
      The default file path is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Extras\EOS\

    2. Go to Launcher\Portal\Extras\EOSBootStrapper\ and run EOSBootStrapper.exeThe default file path is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Extras\EOSBootStrapper

    3. Go to Launcher\Portal\Extras\Overlay\. Right click either EOSOverlayRenderer-Win64-Shipping.exe or EOSOverlayRenderer-Win32-Shipping.exe depending on your operating system, and select Run as Administrator.
      The default file path is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Extras\Overlay

    4. Launch Alan Wake 2 via the Epic Games Launcher

  4.  If you are still getting the error, verify the game files by following instructions in How do I verify game files in the Epic Games Launcher

  5. Reinstall the Epic Games Launcher. Instructions here: How do I reinstall the Epic Games Launcher