Fallout 3 Has Removed All 'Games For Windows Live' Dependencies


Fallout is one of Bethesda's most celebrated franchises. While its most recent iteration, Fallout 76, is planning an impressive Halloween event, Fallout 3 remains beloved by fans.

However, PC gamers have found it difficult to play the title, as the game had Games For Windows Live (GFWL) as an in-built launcher. Nearly 13 years since its launch, a new Fallout 3 patch has finally removed all GFWL dependencies, making it easier to run the game on Steam.

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Fallout 3 Has Removed All 'Games For Windows Live' Dependencies

In update 1.7.0.4, Fallout 3 is no longer dependent on GFWL to run:

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition has been updated and no longer installs Games for Windows Live dependencies. If Fallout 3 was previously installed on Steam, we suggest uninstalling and reinstalling the title.

The title no longer requires Games for Windows Live and will now launch.

Established in 2007, GFWL was a service that aimed to integrate both Windows and Xbox players by offering Xbox-Live style features on both platforms. In addition to these features, a launcher was included where many games ran on this service, including Halo 2 and Shadowrun.

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While GFWL was an interesting idea at the time - introducing crossplay-like features before crossplay became a norm today - the $50/year subscription fee put many players off. Given Steam's integrated and growing player base, GFWL was quickly shunned by many players. That resulted in GFWL being discontinued in 2014, causing many games to remove GFWL as a requirement.

It's taken years but Fallout 3 has finally removed the notorious requirement. In celebration, the Game Of The Year Edition is currently on sale for £5.99/$7.99.

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