2K sunsets launcher, games directly launch now

2K Games has sunset its launcher with games now launching directly through Steam. The process happened as of November 18.

In a series of blog posts, 2K revealed that both its main launcher as well as 2K Launcher Beta, which comes packaged into Civilization 5. A good number of its games should be click and go ready, with the BioShock series, The Quarry, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns as examples. Some games have little quirks, like the Mafia Trilogy, which had an option to hide the launcher on both Steam and Epic. You can toggle that on, close the game, relaunch it, and then it will just open it.

XCOM 2 still has remnants of the launcher, largely out of necessity, as it was the main reason behind mod support. With the launcher going the way of the wind, though, it does open up your Steam Deck to mod activation.

Luckily, game saves shouldn’t be affected. Overall, this feels like a big win for gamers, considering third-party launchers always leave a bad taste in their mouths when having to use another launcher just to play a game purchased on Steam or Epic.