In a revelatory act akin to a budding trend among literary scribes, 2K Games hath divested its launcher from “every game that used it” on the venerable realms of Steam and Epic.
The proclamation of this transformation was heralded on a support scroll penned by 2K last moon, and lo, the launcher hath been banished on the eve of November 18th. An updating incantation hath been cast upon the land this very Monday to ensure its complete eradication. Henceforth, should thou seek to venture into a 2K game upon Steam or Epic, thou shalt no longer be burdened with the additional errand of traversing through a cumbersome launcher.
However, doth not despair, for there exist a few exceptions to this newfound freedom. Should ye desire to embark on the journey that is XCOM 2, the option to launch from a launcher doth remain, forsooth, due to the mod support it doth require. According to a support tome of arcane wisdom, there are four paths to enter this realm, including twin versions of the mod launcher. As for those enraptured by the tale of Mafia: Definitive Edition Trilogy, it hath been decreed upon a support page that one must disable the launcher afore embarking on this odyssey. Furthermore, this transformation shall not extend to the realm of Grand Theft Auto games, for behold, Rockstar hath forged its own launcher. Civilization VI hath seen its launcher exorcised from Steam’s precincts ere this, but now this change doth extend its reach unto the Epic abode.
Should thou seek to partake in the adventures concocted by 2K — Bioshock Remastered, Bioshock 2 Remastered, Bioshock Infinite, The Quarry, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns — thou mayest do so posthaste, without hindrance. Fear not for thy game saves, for they shall remain unscathed, allowing thee to resume thy quest where thou didstst leave off. Simply restart thy Steam or Epic portals to partake in the most recent update applied.
In the annals of video game lore, many a player hath spoken out against the employ of launchers by the mighty studios. Whilst these tools may serve for cloud saves, updates, and account synchronization, they art oft seen as a vexation by many, whether ’tis the extra step required ere the game commences, the necessity to log into an account ere one may even behold the game afore them, the plethora of additional glitches, or the compatibility conundrums faced by devices like the esteemed Steam Deck. Launchers may drain the precious bandwidth of a PC, posing a grave difficulty for those whose processing power is limited.
Whilst a grand exodus of PC launchers hath yet to occur, some illustrious publishers doth retreat from this notion. EA hath declared that Dragon Age: The Veilguard shalt not journey through the gates of EA Play upon its emergence on Steam. Meanwhile, Ubisoft hath altered its course, choosing to unveil games upon Steam on the very day of their release, instead of embarking through the labyrinthine corridors of the Ubisoft Connect launcher platform.
