When 2K removed its annoying launcher it broke a bunch of XCOM 2 mods

Late in 2024, 2K removed its launcher and everybody cheered. This was not just another bit of obnoxious corporate bloatware, but one that prevented Linux users from playing BioShock and affected Midnight Suns' performance. Unfortunately, it's not all been good news.

Look on the Steam forum for XCOM 2 and you'll see threads noting that some mods no longer work, and having them installed can result in consistent crashing. Similar complaints have appeared on Reddit. Using the Alternative Mod Launcher...