"Absolute W": PC gamers celebrate as the 2K launcher is removed from Civ 6 and won't be implemented for Civ 7

Civilization 7 reveal trailer screenshot showing a man wearing mining gear while wielding a massive hammer above his head, his expression pained — (Image credit: Firaxis Games)

Civilization 7 was confirmed just a few months ago, and it looks like it's already off to a good start—the game will not utilize the 2K launcher, which predecessors like Civ 6 also axed.

Let's face it: launchers are annoying, which is a sentiment that most PC gamers would agree with. If you're already using Steam, why grapple with publishers' extra launchers on top of Valve's own? That's a question fans of Sid Meier's Civilization series have often wondered, thanks to the 2K launcher - but they won't need to anymore. In a recent announcement, Firaxis Games community manager Sarah Engel reveals just that.

2K Launcher has been removed from Civ 6 and will not be implemented for Civ 7 from r/civ

"Earlier today, the 2K launcher has been removed from Civ 6 on Steam, with plans to also remove it on Epic in the near future," writes Engel. "I'm also confirming that Civ 7 will NOT utilize the 2K launcher."

Unsurprisingly, fans largely seem ecstatic in the responses. "Thank goodness," reads one excited player's reply. "I am very tired of having half a dozen launchers on my computer in addition to Steam."

"Absolute W," says another grateful fan. "Just fell to my knees at a Walmart." The news is especially welcome as the 2K launcher has been a hot topic among Civ players for a good few years now - from full-blown guides on Steam instructing others on how they can bypass it entirely to countless threads on forums like Reddit expressing the disappointment in having to go through it, the community has long sought to be rid of it.

We're finally getting a Civilization 7 gameplay reveal at Gamescom, and a whole "20+ minute deep dive" at that

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.