Remember when Firaxis confirmed that Civilization 7 wouldn’t use the 2K Launcher on PC and that Civilization 6 had already removed its requirement? The publishing label has since confirmed that as of November 18th, the launcher is gone from every title using it on Epic Games Store and Steam.
It even extends to the 2K Launcher Beta for Civilization 5. A text file called 2kLauncherRemoved.txt has replaced its folder, but this can be deleted. You can check out how to remove any other remaining files here, but suffice it to say that this is good news for those playing XCOM: Chimera Squad, XCOM 2, both BioShock remasters, Mafia: Definitive Edition, and more on both storefronts.
It should also ensure fewer barriers to entry for upcoming 2K-published titles like Borderlands 4, which launches next year. As for Civilization 7, it’s out on February 11th, 2025, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch alongside PC. Check out the latter’s requirements here.