Ever since the game was released, I've played Cyberpunk using the offline downloads from GOG. I manually update the game when necessary, and I launch the game directly via shortcut to the game executable. I don't use GOG Galaxy.

Usually when I launch the game, it just starts up. Immediately goes fullscreen and takes me to a splash screen, then loads the intro and takes me to the main menu. That's it.

Today, I launched the game, and it took me to a launcher. One I've never seen before. A launcher that also has the Witcher III and Gwent in it, as well as a bunch of news that I don't want to see, and the launcher telling me to upgrade to Ultimate. RedLauncher.exe is running instead of the game. The game isn't running at all, whatsoever.

Why is this happening suddenly? I haven't updated the game. I'm still on version 2.01 as a matter of fact, because newer versions break everything.

Everything was running fine, and I kept the game offline and manually updated to prevent something like this from happening. How did this even happen, if the game wasn't updated? How did it update itself to install a new launcher without my approval?

I just tested, saw it for myself, and fixed it.

Go to file explorer >
Navigate to the folder CP 2077 is in >
Go into Bin > X64 >
Copy "Cyberpunk2077" APPLICATION file >
Paste shortcut on desktop >
Profit.

Holistic's answer may solve your issue, but I'm also curious:

When you launch the game, do you use a shortcut? If so, what does that shortcut point to?

I'm guessing they use either the shortcut the installer puts on the desktop, or the default shortcut inside the game directory, which now mysteriously launches the REDLauncher for unknown reasons.

The shortcut is the same as it's been for years. I think it's if you have a red account which they asked people to upgrade to not long ago (already had one) it detects you do and launches the RedLauncher which is in the cyberpunk directory (also has been for a long time).
I just edit my launcher to point to the cyberpunk.exe file

I was launching from the shortcut in the start menu. Which, incidentally, is the same shortcut that I've be using since the game originally launched. I've only ever done manual updates, using offline installers.

I suppose there's a chance that the 2.0 update switched the shortcut from the game executable to the RedLauncher executable - But I never have seen the Launcher before I the day I made this post, so I'm not sure why it'd be silent until then.

The shortcut absolutely was pointing to the RedLauncher executable. I changed it to the game executable instead, as recommended, and that launches directly into the game. Thank you.

Still disconcerted that the launcher showed up the way it did.

It feels like somehow an update to the game was installed without my knowledge or approval.

That's a perfectly understandable concern. The REDLauncher came up out of nowhere for me, but I wasn't playing daily. I'd initiated an update, and then it was a few days or so later when I finally played again. Mine could have changed at the update, and I just didn't notice until I played again.

I guess it's possible there was another trigger. Like, the command for changing the shortcut to the REDLauncher was there at your most recent update, but it was waiting for one or two other conditions to be met before it activated. (Like a system update, or a reboot, or a date, or who knows what.) But I agree, it's a little concerning.

Yeah I'd never seen it before around a week or so ago. Now my game says it's version 2.12a so maybe that was the reason why...

I copied the game install over to back it up at around 2.01 and the redlauncher.exe is in there so it has been in there for a while.

I'm generally very understanding of GOG and their installers, but this seems like something definitely was updated without knowledge or approval, so I think you're 100% correct.

The fact you now have to redirect a default shortcut to another path is really all there is to say. I'll still buy games from this storefront, but for those that rely specifically on offline installers, it's a bit offputting.

Thanks to you and others for bringing this to attention for everyone.

Take care, GL HF

I just reinstalled this game after some time, and I absolutely detest what they have done to it.

I hate that launcher (I know I can bypass it but that's beside the point... it is insulting), I hate the changes to the game mechanics and I'm sending back that stupid Phantom Liberty DLC unplayed, because I'm just not tolerating the changes to this game.

They nerfed the way health packs work (there's a cooldown period now. Why? Can't stand that someone might actually be able to play their game?) They nerfed the wrist launcher thing since the last time I played this. They changed all the icons and now I don't know what's what. I have to waste time in convoluted menus to figure out all those skill points again.

I have an old, archived version I'll put back if I ever want to see this again (not likely, I found this to be a boring game, in a boring, non-interactive city)

Vain launchers are completely unnecessary, irksome and are just another point of failure in launching games. All so they can advertise and upsell.

This game company need not look for my money again. I don't trust game companies that yank the rug out from underfoot years later after I've purchased a game. I don't WANT changes to my games and DLC content should just be expansion, not game changing updates to go along with it.

I had to go back to an old version of The Witcher 3 too. Don't change the way important things like the Yrden sign work.

Tried this. Didn't work. (got some error code that means nothing to anyone except a Dev)

Also, the Launcher doesn't launch it either. It just crashes.

Game is on my old SSD that I transplanted into my new box. Looks like I gotta redownload AGAIN to the main drive. Not happening tonight, though. That good ol' hardthrottle makes 82 GB take a couple of hours.

If you randomly moved the game from one hard drive to another and didn't reinstall it or otherwise revalidate it, this is a common occurance.

You shouldn't have to redownload the whole thing, but it's hard to say. You might have to "reinstall" and have it point to the directory you moved the game to, assuming you still have the installer.

Generally as a rule of thumb, just moving a game to a new directory and hoping for the best, seldom works with higher profile titles, but I'm sure you knew that already.

When they say "DRM free" They do not mean "Registry key free".

Safe travels, Geno.

-HG