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2K Games has officially put an end to its 2K Launcher, nixing the software from its entire suite of PC games. While the company hasn’t explicitly outlined why it decided to shut down the launcher, it’s no secret that these standalone platforms have been meeting with a lukewarm reception from the gaming community.
A segment of players is celebrating the launcher’s demise, having long complained about how it bogged down performance and didn’t support mods. Additionally, there had been ongoing compatibility hiccups with Steam Deck, which players had to circumvent using Proton. 2K now states that all these issues should be a thing of the past with their new setup.
In a blog post from October 2024, 2K initially shared plans to eliminate the 2K Launcher from its PC games lineup. The post, updated on November 25, 2024, announces that every title has now been freed from the launcher. Earlier this year, Civilization 6 saw the departure of the launcher, and the latest update sees this change extending to Sid Meier’s Civilization 5 as well. Without the launcher, players can now easily dive into the games via Steam and Epic, with all versions and mods available across every title.
Shutting down the 2K Launcher involves some changes on users’ computers. The launcher folder will be swapped out for a simple text file called 2kLauncherRemoved.txt, which can be safely deleted. To ensure a smooth transition, 2K advises players to reboot their systems and relaunch any related software, confirming they’re using the most recent versions for Epic and Steam. Any lingering files can be cleared away following instructions linked in the blog.
Different games may adjust in various ways in the wake of the launcher’s removal, offering an array of entry options for players. These include popular titles like XCOM 2, XCOM: Chimera Squad, the entire Bioshock franchise, Civilization 6, and the Mafia Trilogy Definitive Edition. With the newfound, streamlined access for PC users, it’s expected that interest in games like XCOM 2, which is already available on mobile, might see a boost.
The cheers resounding from Reddit and other online forums indicate that players are more than ready to embrace this change, and it could spark a trend where more publishers contemplate dropping their own proprietary launchers. Given the PC gaming world’s fixation on optimizing performance, the removal of any cumbersome software is likely to be a breath of fresh air for many dedicated gamers.
