Let's be real for a second. Having ten different game launchers on your PC is a mess. You’ve got Epic for your freebies, EA for sports, and Steam for everything else. It’s annoying. Most people just want their entire library in one place, and since Steam is basically the king of libraries, it makes sense to want the biggest game in the world sitting right there next to Counter-Strike or Elden Ring.
Adding Fortnite to Steam in 2025 isn't some secret hack that’ll get you banned. It’s actually a built-in feature of the Steam client, but Epic Games makes it just a tiny bit tricky because of how their launcher handles authentication. If you just point Steam at the first "Fortnite" icon you see, it probably won't even open.
Here is the thing: Epic Games and Valve aren't exactly best friends. You can’t just "buy" Fortnite on the Steam Store. You still need the Epic Games Launcher installed in the background because that’s what actually handles the anti-cheat and your account login. Steam just acts as the front door.
Why Even Bother With Steam?
Honestly, the biggest reason is the Steam Overlay. If you’ve got friends who only play on Steam, you can chat with them while you’re waiting in the Fortnite lobby without alt-tabbing every five seconds. It also lets you use the Steam Controller or a PS5 DualSense with way better customization.
Then there’s the Steam Deck. If you're trying to figure out how to add Fortnite to Steam 2025 for a handheld, you've probably realized by now that Tim Sweeney isn't making a native Linux version anytime soon. On a PC, this is easy. On a Deck? It's a whole different beast involving cloud streaming or Windows installs.
The Step-by-Step Manual Way
Don't just click "Add a Game" and hope for the best. You need to find the right file. Most people grab the shortcut on their desktop, which is just a URL link. That won't work.
- Open Steam and look at the bottom left. There’s a little plus sign that says Add a Game. Click that and choose Add a Non-Steam Game.
- A list of apps will pop up. Fortnite won't be there. Click Browse.
- Now you have to go hunting. By default, it’s usually in
C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64. - Look for
FortniteLauncher.exe. This is the one. Don't pick the "Shipping" file; pick the Launcher. - Click Add Selected Programs.
Boom. It's in your library. But wait—it looks ugly. It’ll just be a blank gray box or a tiny icon. If you want it to look official, right-click the game in your library, go to Properties, and you can change the name or add custom artwork. You can find high-res banners on sites like SteamGridDB to make it look like a native Steam game.
What About the Steam Deck?
Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. You can add the shortcut to Steam on your Deck all you want, but the Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) will kick you out the moment you try to join a match. Epic has explicitly chosen not to enable the Linux/Proton module for Fortnite.
🔗 Read more: Finding the Best Alt Recipes Satisfactory Players Actually Use to Hit Max Efficiency
If you're on a Deck in 2025, you basically have two choices:
- Xbox Cloud Gaming: You use a browser (like Microsoft Edge) added to Steam. It’s free, you don't need a subscription for Fortnite, and it works surprisingly well if your Wi-Fi isn't trash.
- Windows Dual-Boot: You literally install Windows on your Deck. It’s a hassle. It eats up battery. But it’s the only way to play Fortnite natively on that hardware.
Some people use the Heroic Games Launcher. It’s a great open-source alternative to Epic’s clunky app. In Heroic, there is literally a button that says "Add to Steam." It handles all the file paths for you. If you’re on a PC, Heroic is actually a much cleaner way to manage your Epic library than the official launcher.
Troubleshooting the "Login Required" Error
Sometimes you'll launch it through Steam and get stuck at a "Logging In" screen that never ends. This usually happens because the Epic Games Launcher isn't running in the background.
Steam is trying to bypass the middleman, but the middleman (Epic) holds the keys to the kingdom. Make sure the Epic launcher is set to start with your computer, or just open it once before you hit play on Steam. It's a minor annoyance, but it's the price we pay for a unified library.
👉 See also: Struggling with Today's Connections Puzzle? Here are the Hints You Actually Need
Actionable Next Steps
If you want the cleanest setup possible, don't stop at just adding the game. Head over to SteamGridDB and download a "Logo," "Hero," and "Grid" image for Fortnite. Right-click the header in your Steam library and set the custom background and logo. It takes about two minutes and makes your library look professional instead of like a hacked-together list of shortcuts.
Also, if you're using a controller, go into the Steam Input settings once the game is launched. You can remap buttons and adjust deadzones with way more precision than the in-game Fortnite settings allow. It's a total game-changer for competitive play.