Normally, I'd be against an update that does nothing but add a launcher that I'm going to bypass. That being said, I hadn't been able to run BioShock Remastered or BioShock 2 Remastered for over a year (they'd just crash to the desktop, seemingly never even launching), but with the most recent update, they finally both play perfectly on Steam. I'd love to have DRM-free versions that, you know, actually work.

Not that I like launchers or forcing a store in your face, but a launcher that wouldn't require internet connection to launch a game is not a DRM in any way.

Is the 2k Launcher one that doesnt require internet connection to launch? or possibly delist it

On a related note, if anyone knows how to fix the 0xc000007b error that I keep getting when I try to run BioShock Remastered or BioShock 2 Remastered, I'd love some insight. That's what's made it so I haven't been able to play the GOG or old Steam versions in over a year at this point, even though other machines in my house can run it just fine (and my own computer runs them fine in Linux using Proton). It's clearly a Windows issue, but I've tried to reinstall every dependency I can think of, and nothing fixes it.

Ye lets hope the gamefiles stay the same here, since that launcher is DRM.
Thus would go against GoG policies. Keep us posted players (those who have the GoG version installed)

GOG has let Larian slide with the same nonsense. What makes you think 2K will be somehow limited in this?

For what it's worth, the 2K Launcher has been optional in ever game that it's been added to, including the BioShock series.

The updates are not at all necessary and add nothing at all to the game itself, IIRC.

Yeah, this is true. I'm just shocked that my Steam versions actually launch now. I tried an old version of each (and downloaded the GOG versions), and they still don't work on my system. I don't know what it is with my Windows installation, but I don't want to reinstall the entire OS just to fix it.

they might have recompiled the steam version, that's why it run better on modern system.
that's a possibility.

Larian Games i have work completely standalone wiithout internet and galaxy as extra launcher
i test every game for that functionality these days, even when i buy GOG only

Slytherrin has their own "launcher" in game too, Homeworld RM as well, i don t mind as long as
there is no requirement to log in to an account and internet connection at all.
as well as third party launchers being mandatory, this is the hardline i ll ever cross.

Yes i do boycott the steamclient and games for exactly that reason. Steam executables launch
Steam first then the gamelauncher/game, not so on GoG.

Guess why it is important to know if the Bioshock games are changed for the worse here.
It seems not, When they still work fully standalone and without internet connection.

Bioshock remaster always work for until I got my new PC. Now I get save game failed bug all the time. The funny part is original version is working fine for me.