Apparently now a Quality of Life Update means adding a launcher to existing games and breaking them, if you're 2K that is.
Just recently BioShock Remastered 1 & 2, plus BioShock Infinite all had this "Quality of Life Update". Expecting some sort of bug-fix and polishing that the name implies, it was nothing of the sort. Instead, the patch notes for all three simply state:
This week's update features various quality-of-life improvements, including:
- Account linking option added in-game
- The addition of a new Launcher which includes a Store to purchase new content
For BioShock Infinite I can confirm the update breaks launching the older Native Linux port from Virtual Programming. Not great for those of you sticking to Native versions and paid for that.
Looking over various reports, many people are mentioning that the launcher update has broken all three for them on Steam Deck. Confusing though, as testing all three across desktop Linux and Steam Deck and all three worked out of the box for me with Proton 7.0-4 and no other changes and I wasn't even shown a launcher on Steam Deck. All good, until I tried running them again on desktop and sometimes the launcher just doesn't show up so they don't run. Frustrating.
You can see my video guide on how to switch between Proton versions or a Native Linux build if it exists.
Infinite was noted to be Unsupported on Steam Deck anyway, but forcing Proton 7 makes it work in my testing.
As for BioShock Remastered 1 & 2, neither of them had a Native Linux version so players on desktop Linux and Steam Deck were using Proton. The problem here is that both had been through Deck Verified with the first being "Playable" and the second being "Verified".
Thankfully, the community has stepped in to provide multiple workarounds for these games if the launcher has broken them for you. If you add these as a launch option (under Properties for each game) it should work for all titles across desktop Linux and Steam Deck to skip the launcher and I've tested them personally working:
BioShock Remastered 1:
bash -c 'exec "${@/2KLauncher\/LauncherPatcher.exe/Build\/Final\/BioshockHD.exe}"' -- %command% -nointro
BioShock Remastered 2:
bash -c 'exec "${@/2KLauncher\/LauncherPatcher.exe/Build\/Final\/Bioshock2HD.exe}"' -- %command% -nointro
BioShock Infinite:
bash -c 'exec "${@/2KLauncher\/LauncherPatcher.exe/Binaries\/Win32\/BioShockInfinite.exe}"' -- %command% -nointro
There's been a lot of unhappy gamers on Windows too, so 2K have a bit of a storm brewing with all three titles getting negative reviews on Steam. Hopefully they will learn from this. It's just another reminder of the problem with launchers and publishers just stuffing them into games with no real benefit to users.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I've never once, ever, in over 1100 games, experienced a launcher which improved a game experience.Total War: Warhammer games
Minecraft
Most Paradox games
Xenonauts
I'm sure there are many more, but the condition for a game benefiting from a launcher is that it needs to provide some kind of service:
Mod / DLC management - not all games can do that in-game due to the technologies used and external mod managers are usually Windows only
Version management - Minecraft and Xenonauts did that. Pretty nice, especially since not all storefronts offer Steam's version management
News / Patch notes / etc. - Again, Steam provides that, but not all games are on Steam
And also, it should of course never get in the way like this 2K launcher does.
2 Likes, Who?
A real quality of life for me would be if they all (Uplay, Origin, WTF) would just remove their completely unnecessary launchers.
This. So much this. I played Watch Dogs 2 on the deck. Every time, I start the game, it forgets my Ubisoft Connect Login and I have to type a log password because password managers aren't a thing in steam input.
0 Likes
nebadon2025 Sep 5, 2022
This really sucks this was one of the primary games I used for benchmarking Zink OpenGL and now I can't do that anymore... what a pain in the ass 2K sucks! 
2 Likes, Who?
I've never once, ever, in over 1100 games, experienced a launcher which improved a game experience.
Minecraft has a useful launcher. That's the only one I know of though. Funny how people make even better ones to replace the one useful launcher I know of.
I'll give you that. One game. And even then, a launcher that's only actually necessary because the core game design is so poor that you have to juggle versions for mods. So even then, while I agree it's a useful launcher, it's only useful because it's absolutely necessary and I'd STILL prefer that it didn't exist!
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slaapliedje Sep 5, 2022
Conan Exiles has a new launcher, though it is a 'Funcom' Launcher that shows all the games you have, but it also helps with mod management, so that is nice.I've never once, ever, in over 1100 games, experienced a launcher which improved a game experience.
Minecraft has a useful launcher. That's the only one I know of though. Funny how people make even better ones to replace the one useful launcher I know of.
1 Likes, Who?
I already deleted the game before reading this. Im not sure it's even worth the hassle to try playing it now, since I have a huge backlog. BS Infinite was towards the top of the list, was... but now it'll probably never be played. I wish I could get a refund.
0 Likes
slaapliedje Sep 5, 2022
I just wanted to say another thing that sucks about launchers is the "time played" is skewed horribly in a lot of my games becaue I close the game but not the launcher.
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hi
there is a way to make this update less trash you will need to get a copy of the older version of the game files
copy the original version of the game folder into the the new game folder and you will need to use the the command to bypass the launcher but linking option added in-game will be missing i have tested this on BioShock Remastered 2
Last edited by MadWolf on 5 September 2022 at 11:05 pm UTC
there is a way to make this update less trash you will need to get a copy of the older version of the game files
copy the original version of the game folder into the the new game folder and you will need to use the the command to bypass the launcher but linking option added in-game will be missing i have tested this on BioShock Remastered 2
Last edited by MadWolf on 5 September 2022 at 11:05 pm UTC
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One problem is that the posted fixes is for the Windows version of the games but Bioshock Infinite have a perfectly fine native version, anyone know if there exists a fix for this as well or is Protom the only way to fix it?
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There are far between and few actually useful launchers for the games I mostly play. Of the ones in native games that I do actually like they exist (at least for first launch) are Feral launchers. Allowing you to choose the resolution and display to use (for me and multimonitor set up is VERY welcome), and the fact you can slect to not show it upon configuration and bring it up via hot key (ctrl) as the game syarts is a plus for me. Another saga if games with somewhat useful launchers are Bethesda TES games, whif it not necessary as such, if you have mods it does indeed is 'useful', but for MY use case (as I play plain base games anyway) is not as useful.
The worst kind are those that 'link' services, alrhough I must confess of those the most unintrussive one (at least up tonabfew days ago when I last played a game that required it) is Origin. Still I do not 'love it' as such, but for the EA games I have, it works reaaonably OK (Jedi Fallen Order and It Takes Two).
I still would rather not have a launcher at all...
The worst kind are those that 'link' services, alrhough I must confess of those the most unintrussive one (at least up tonabfew days ago when I last played a game that required it) is Origin. Still I do not 'love it' as such, but for the EA games I have, it works reaaonably OK (Jedi Fallen Order and It Takes Two).
I still would rather not have a launcher at all...
1 Likes, Who?
I already deleted the game before reading this. Im not sure it's even worth the hassle to try playing it now, since I have a huge backlog. BS Infinite was towards the top of the list, was... but now it'll probably never be played. I wish I could get a refund.
I still absolutely recommend to play Bioshock Infinite.
2 Likes, Who?
So is there no way to make the native version work again?
I recently started replaying the game, but now I'm away from my desktop computer, so I can't check. I've encountered some slowdowns with the native version and it always crashed on exit, so I switched to proton, but it would be sad if it was gone forever.
Concerning the game itself: I hate the checkpoint-based save system with only one slot. I know you can somehow go back via the chapter select system in new game plus, but that is not the same. After I've noticed that I've missed one infusion, I'm not sure whether I should continue that playthrough or start at the beginning.
I recently started replaying the game, but now I'm away from my desktop computer, so I can't check. I've encountered some slowdowns with the native version and it always crashed on exit, so I switched to proton, but it would be sad if it was gone forever.
Concerning the game itself: I hate the checkpoint-based save system with only one slot. I know you can somehow go back via the chapter select system in new game plus, but that is not the same. After I've noticed that I've missed one infusion, I'm not sure whether I should continue that playthrough or start at the beginning.
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fenglengshun Sep 6, 2022
Oh, this is just like the Civilization VI situation. Well, thankfully it can still be skipped just like with Civ VI, so that's nice.
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Mohandevir Sep 6, 2022
Argh! The launcher disease strikes again!
As for Proton, I understand that there is an issue with the launcher, on the desktop which is pretty terrible, but aside from that, personally, I was already using Proton with Bioshock Infinite. Cloud saves stopped working many years ago, with the Linux version and lately the game just refused to launch, anyway. Switching to Proton solved both issues and, on the Steam Deck, I can use the system wide AMD FSR in the performance tab... I get 3 hours of autonomy at High setting, with a solid 60fps. So, It's not all bad, imo. I Just hope 2K will do something about that crappy launcher and fully support Proton, though.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 7 September 2022 at 1:04 pm UTC
As for Proton, I understand that there is an issue with the launcher, on the desktop which is pretty terrible, but aside from that, personally, I was already using Proton with Bioshock Infinite. Cloud saves stopped working many years ago, with the Linux version and lately the game just refused to launch, anyway. Switching to Proton solved both issues and, on the Steam Deck, I can use the system wide AMD FSR in the performance tab... I get 3 hours of autonomy at High setting, with a solid 60fps. So, It's not all bad, imo. I Just hope 2K will do something about that crappy launcher and fully support Proton, though.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 7 September 2022 at 1:04 pm UTC
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So is there no way to make the native version work again?
I recently started replaying the game, but now I'm away from my desktop computer, so I can't check. I've encountered some slowdowns with the native version and it always crashed on exit, so I switched to proton, but it would be sad if it was gone forever.
Concerning the game itself: I hate the checkpoint-based save system with only one slot. I know you can somehow go back via the chapter select system in new game plus, but that is not the same. After I've noticed that I've missed one infusion, I'm not sure whether I should continue that playthrough or start at the beginning.
yes there is a way to get the Linux native working you will need to download a copy of the old version of the Engine Binaries https://steamdb.info/depot/8873/manifests/ and copy them in to the game folder
1 Likes, Who?
Bioshock 1 Remastered is broken even with this. There's ZERO launcher files in the depot and it complains that it can't find LauncherPatcher.exe
Did they silently push an update fucking it over even more?
EDIT: Image
Verified files. Nothing there.
Last edited by parkerlreed on 6 September 2022 at 5:52 pm UTC
Did they silently push an update fucking it over even more?
EDIT: Image
Verified files. Nothing there.
Last edited by parkerlreed on 6 September 2022 at 5:52 pm UTC
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One problem is that the posted fixes is for the Windows version of the games but Bioshock Infinite have a perfectly fine native version, anyone know if there exists a fix for this as well or is Protom the only way to fix it?Not that it is probably any consolation but the Windows "fixes" I've found on Reddit and various places don't work for me or a lot of people. When I try any of the fixes I still get the missing launcher executable popup. The only way I can start the game is by executing the BioshockHD.exe file itself.
This whole fiasco is just because they want to pump microtransactions through their store front and have analytics running while their launcher is active. It's deplorable.
1 Likes, Who?
Bioshock 1 Remastered is broken even with this. There's ZERO launcher files in the depot and it complains that it can't find LauncherPatcher.exeThat's what I'm talking about. I've tried removing and reinstalling. Verifying. Tried all the fixes. Nothing works and I'm running Windows 11. The files aren't there in the depot. Putting the executable path with -nointro %command% into the start options doesn't work.
Did they silently push an update fucking it over even more?
Verified files. Nothing there.
The one thing I haven't tried is spoofing the launcher executable because I'm not going to put that much effort into it at this point. I can execute the binary directly and that works, but throws a few warnings. That's on Windows though so I'm not sure if linking directly to the binary will work on Linux.
1 Likes, Who?
Bioshock 1 Remastered is broken even with this. There's ZERO launcher files in the depot and it complains that it can't find LauncherPatcher.exeThat's what I'm talking about. I've tried removing and reinstalling. Verifying. Tried all the fixes. Nothing works and I'm running Windows 11. The files aren't there in the depot. Putting the executable path with -nointro %command% into the start options doesn't work.
Did they silently push an update fucking it over even more?
Verified files. Nothing there.
The one thing I haven't tried is spoofing the launcher executable because I'm not going to put that much effort into it at this point. I can execute the binary directly and that works, but throws a few warnings. That's on Windows though so I'm not sure if linking directly to the binary will work on Linux.
Just tested and a simple
touch LauncherPatcher.exein the launcher folder along with the launch arguments from the main post is enough to get it working.
2 Likes, Who?
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