It has indeed become less of a hassle to launch 2K games from your Steam library. The publisher has officially removed its launcher from all titles that utilized it on Steam (and the Epic Games Store). This change took effect on November 18, with a follow-up update released on November 25 to ensure that the Launcher was entirely eliminated.
A variety of games, including Bioshock Remastered, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and The Quarry, will now launch directly through Steam. Other titles previously relied on the launcher for enhanced functionality. These games will now display a small submenu prior to starting the game itself.
For instance, XCOM 2 and XCOM: Chimera Squad used the 2K launcher for mod management. Now, when launching the game, a small menu will appear that allows you to access the mod launcher or launch the game directly. This change enables you to install and use mods on Steam Deck for both titles, although the Chimera Squad menu may encounter some graphical and interface issues on the portable device.
Some data from the launcher may still persist. The 2K launcher folder has been replaced with a text file named 2kLauncherRemoved.txt, which can be safely deleted. You can also find remnants of the launcher by searching your Windows search bar with the following strings: “%localappdata%T2GP Launcher” and “%appdata%T2GP Launcher.” A detailed guide for removing the launcher’s files can be found.