Fan Revolt Forces RPG Studio to Kill New Launcher Just 19 Hours After Release
The Owlcat Launcher, a controversial new tool introduced with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, has been completely removed just 19 hours after its launch. The Rogue Trader development team announced the rollback, stating that the game will now revert to the previous patch, erasing all changes related to the launcher. Fans were quick to react, expressing relief and gratitude for the decision.
The Owlcat Launcher was designed as a centralized hub for news, updates, and announcements related to Owlcat Games' titles. In a statement, the studio explained that players would no longer need to search across multiple platforms for updates, as everything would be accessible in one place. However, the response from the community was swift and negative, with complaints flooding the Rogue Trader subreddit and Steam forums.
Why the Backlash?
Despite Owlcat's claims that the launcher was "unobtrusive," players were not convinced. The launcher was criticized for being intrusive and unnecessary, with many comparing it to bloatware—a common gripe among gamers. One of the biggest issues was that turning off the launcher did not actually disable it. Instead, it would run in the background, invisible to the user.
This led to another issue: Steam playtime tracking. According to Starrok, Owlcat's community manager, if the launcher closed, the game would stop recording Steam time. This was due to the launcher's ID being used as the default for game recognition. To fix this, the team implemented a background process that kept the launcher running. Unfortunately, this only added to the frustration.
"I know VERY well how that looks," Starrok admitted in the Rogue Trader subreddit. "I've already communicated with the team about this and tomorrow they will research how this time display issue can be resolved in a different way rather than leaving an unkilled process that eats up memory."
A Quick Exit for the Launcher
By the next day, Owlcat had made a U-turn. In a new announcement, the studio confirmed that they were rolling back the launcher entirely. "We are Rolling Back the Launcher," the title read. "The game will now revert to the previous patch, completely removing any Launcher-related changes. Thank you for your feedback, and genuinely sorry for the frustration caused."
Fans responded positively to the decision, with many thanking Owlcat for listening. The launcher's short-lived existence—just 19 hours—has become a cautionary tale for game developers who attempt to implement new tools without proper community input.
Not the First Time for Owlcat
This isn't the first time Owlcat has faced backlash over controversial features. In 2023, the studio was forced to remove a data-collecting tool from Wrath of the Righteous after fan pushback. While many studios might ignore such criticism, Owlcat has shown a willingness to respond to player concerns.
However, it's hard to believe that no one at Owlcat anticipated the negative reaction to the launcher. Studio decision-makers should take fan feedback seriously and ensure that any new features are transparent and user-friendly.
I've reached out to Owlcat to ask whether this marks the end of the launcher or if it will be reintroduced in a revised form. I'll update this piece if I hear back.
