Commander! We’ve got new intel coming in. It looks like the 2K Launcher is going away as of November 18th 2024, and in its place there will be multiple launcher options at your disposal. Here are the details of the report.
For more details regarding the sunset of the 2K Launcher for all relevant titles, please check out the main 2K Launcher Complete Sunset article.
Launch Options for Steam
With the removal of the 2K Launcher, you will have 4 different launch options to choose from:
- Play XCOM 2
- Play War of the Chosen
- Open New Mod Launcher
- Open Original Mod Launcher
If War of the Chosen is not installed, you will only see two launch options: “Open New Mod Launcher” and “Play XCOM 2”. The “Open Original Mod Launcher” and the “Play War of the Chosen” options both require War of the Chosen to be installed to appear on the Steam Launch options list.
Both top options “Play XCOM2” and “Play War of the Chosen” are for those who do not wish to use mods.
If XCOM 2 is launched from a Desktop Shortcut it will default to the “Play XCOM 2” selection. To select another launcher type, you will need to launch the game directly from the Steam Client. If you’re not seeing the options while launching from Steam and want to change your preferred version, this can be adjusted in the game’s Properties menu on the general tab. Either right click on the game in Steam or select the gear on the game’s library page in Steam and select “Properties” and you'll be able to make the changes there.
Please note: When viewing mods in either Mod Launcher, you may see a warning appear. The warning messages will display as "This mod is not compatible, but only contains content changes. Use at your own risk." in the Original Mod Launcher and "Mods are available only for XCOM 2" or "Mods are available only for War of The Chosen" in the New Mod Launcher.
- If you’re using the Original Mod Launcher: This warning will not prevent you from using these mods, and instead is meant to let players know that the mods installed may not be compatible and to use at their own discretion. This is based on the specific version of the game the mod maker flagged the mod for. Most mods that are compatible with both versions have a note in the mod description calling this out. Be sure to read the details of the mod if you are unsure on compatibility.
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If you’re using the New Mod Launcher: This warning will prevent you from using the mods that have been enabled. If you’re facing compatibility issues when launching, please use the Original Mod Launcher.
Modding on Steam Deck
Additionally, we’ve received good news that both Mod Launchers have been confirmed to be functional on Steam Deck. However, they do not respond to input from certain buttons on the Steam Deck, so you may need to use Touch controls to navigate them.
Launching without Mod Launchers
You can also set up your options to play the game directly. If you do use mods or used them in the past, be advised that any mods enabled in your previous launch of the game will continue to be enabled if you use the direct launch options. You will need to open one of the two mod launchers, disable the mods, and finish opening the game through that mod launcher for mods to be disabled in future direct game launches.
Launching on Epic
For players using Epic, the mod launcher will open at launch every time, with functionality to do the following:
- Select between XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen
- Enable and Disable mods
- Launch the game
The Mod Launcher will appear in the same language used in the Epic Launcher, as long as that language is listed as supported on the XCOM 2 store page. Additionally, War of the Chosen will only be selectable on the Mod Launcher if it is installed.
If you intend to mod XCOM 2 on Epic, please keep the following in mind:
- You will need to manually place your mods in a “Mods” folder in the game’s install directory. Mods folders are not present by default, so you will need to create them in the correct place, titling the folder "Mods."
- The Mod launcher only displays mods that are placed in the Mods folder for the selected game.
- Base game mods must be placed in "[Game Root]\XComGame\Mods" folder to appear in the Launcher when XCOM 2 is selected.
- War of the Chosen mods must be placed in "[Game Root]\XCom2-WarOfTheChosen\XComGame\Mods" folder to appear in the Launcher when War of the Chosen is selected.
- When enabling mods, a warning label will appear noting, “This mod is not compatible. Use at your own risk.”. This warning does not prevent you from using mods, and instead is meant to let players know that the mods installed may not be compatible and to use at their own discretion.