The 2K launcher is no longer part of Civilization 6. The unpopular feature was removed as part of the latest Civilization 6 update that rolled out in mid-August 2024.

While many PC gamers have long been complaining about publisher-specific launchers, such software is still fairly commonly encountered, largely because the prospect of selling content while cutting out intermediary storefronts is too attractive for many companies to pass up. Be that as it may, third-party launchers make starting Steam games more inconvenient, which is something that PC gamers often complain about.

Firaxis has recently acknowledged some such grievances by removing the 2K launcher from Civilization 6. The unpopular feature was dropped as part of the game's latest update, which rolled out this past Wednesday, August 14. While the change is currently only live for Steam users, a Firaxis representative confirmed that the studio will also be removing the 2K launcher from the Epic Games Store version of Civilization 6. However, the company hasn't yet committed to a concrete time frame for updating the EGS build of its 4X strategy.

Moving forward, the developer has confirmed that the PC version of the recently announced Civilization 7 won't have the 2K launcher. A Firaxis representative cited player feedback as the reason why the company decided to move away from this highly unpopular feature. While this turn of events suggests that the studio's future games beyond the Civilization series may also be free of the 2K launcher, the company hasn't outright confirmed that. It is also unclear whether the developer is currently looking into removing the launcher from some of its other PC titles that utilize it, such as Marvel's Midnight Suns, XCOM 2, and Civilization 5.

The 2K launcher has previously been the subject of much player pushback, especially once 2K's studios started adding it to some PC titles that didn't have it at launch. E.g., the addition of the 2K launcher to the Bioshock trilogy stirred quite a bit of controversy back in 2022.

Civilization 6 previously relied on the 2K launcher to allow users to switch between its DirectX 11 and 12 versions. Now that the extra app has been removed, players will be able to make that choice via a simple DirectX prompt that pops up before the game starts. In related news, Civilization 7 has recently been confirmed to be coming to Gamescom 2024, where it will be treated to a gameplay reveal during the Opening Night Live show on August 20.

2K Launcher has been removed from Civ 6 and will not be implemented for Civ 7
byu/sar_firaxis inciv

Posted: Aug 22, 2024 7:24 am
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: https://gamerant.com/civilization-6-removes-2k-launcher-civ-7-developer-update/