2K Games has surprised fans by shutting down its PC launcher, which had long been a source of frustration for players. Over the years, gamers have voiced their annoyance with the proliferation of proprietary launchers from publishers like Bethesda, Ubisoft, EA, and Rockstar, all of which required users to create separate accounts just to access or play their purchased games.
The now-defunct 2K launcher was mandatory for playing titles like XCOM 2, BioShock, Mafia: Definitive Edition, and Civilization V. Unlike platforms such as Steam or the Epic Games Store, the launcher wasn’t a storefront it existed solely as a gatekeeper to access games, adding an extra, unnecessary layer to the process.
Players criticized it as intrusive, slow, and a frequent source of performance issues, with some even reporting that it occasionally blocked access to games entirely, now that it has been removed your games will now launch directly as soon as you click Play.
On November 18, 2K announced plans to sunset the launcher, with its complete removal finalized in an update on November 25. The “2K Launcher Beta” created for Sid Meier’s Civilization V was also eliminated.
Players will now notice that the launcher folder has been replaced with a text file labeled 2kLauncherRemoved.txt, which can be safely deleted. While some users might still see remnants of the launcher, 2K has provided troubleshooting steps to ensure complete removal.
This decision has been warmly welcomed by players, especially given the industry’s frustrating trend of forcing arbitrary third-party launchers on consumers. Publishers like Sony have drawn criticism for requiring a PlayStation Network account to play even single-player games on PC, under the guise of “safety.” Similarly, mandated usage of the Epic Games Store for games purchased elsewhere has raised privacy concerns and fueled frustration.
For years, these restrictive platforms and invasive DRM measures have alienated players, often pushing them away from purchasing games and moving them toward piracy as a way to bypass such obstacles and to tell these companies to go fuck themselves, the removal of the 2K Launcher marks a refreshing change, simplifying the gaming experience by eliminating unnecessary, unpopular barriers.
