January 5, 2026

Major Avalonia upgrade for cross-platform support, enhanced downloads management, error tracking with Glitchtip, and improved build handling

Want to see ALL the differences? Check out our comprehensive comparison between Game Launcher Cloud and Game Launcher Asset (legacy): 👉 Full Features Comparison List

🖥️ Desktop

🚀 Cross-Platform Support with AvaloniaUI

MAJOR UPDATE: The Game Launcher has been completely upgraded to AvaloniaUI with .NET 10 and C# 14 for native cross-platform support!

Full multi-platform compatibility - Windows, macOS, and Linux support
Built on .NET 10 - latest framework with best performance
C# 14 language features - modern syntax and capabilities
Native performance across all platforms
Modern UI framework with better maintainability
Smooth animations and transitions throughout the app
Improved rendering with platform-specific optimizations

🐛 Error Tracking with GlitchTip

NEW FEATURE: Automated crash reporting and error tracking with GlitchTip (Sentry-compatible)!

Automatic crash reports sent when errors occur
Detailed error context including launcher configuration and user data
Real-time error monitoring for faster issue resolution
Privacy-focused - only essential diagnostic data is sent
Helps improve stability by identifying and fixing bugs quickly

Impact: We can now proactively identify and fix issues before they affect most users, leading to a more stable launcher experience.

📥 Downloads Page - Enhanced Download Management

NEW FEATURE: Dedicated Downloads Page for complete download management!

Detailed download information - progress, speed, ETA, and status
Navigate between games without interrupting current downloads
Pause and resume downloads with full state preservation
Download statistics - current speed, average speed, total downloaded
Environment badges showing which environment is downloading
Status indicators for install/update/verify states
Visual progress tracking with multi-process progress bars
Background blurred image with glassmorphism effects

Key Features:

Game description display in download cards
Play completed downloads directly from the downloads page
Remove completed downloads from the list
Real-time status updates with dynamic icons and messages
Beautiful glassmorphism UI with acrylic blur effects

🎨 Visual & UI Improvements

Acrylic Blur Windows

System-native acrylic blur on all windows for modern glass effect
Dynamic transparency based on developer configuration (set in Dashboard)
Configurable launcher base opacity (0-100%) set by developers
Improved visual consistency across the entire launcher
Respects developer's visual design choices

New "Black" Theme

New professional Black theme preset
Enhanced Gray theme option
Better contrast for improved readability
Modern dark mode aesthetics

Customizable Progress Bars Colors

Custom Overall Progress color: customizable via Dashboard
Custom Single Process Progress color: customizable via Dashboard

Favorites apps are now draggable to reorganize them
Right click to the app to open the dropdown and remove it from favorites

Enhanced Animations

Smoother transitions between views
Improved fade effects for panels and windows
Better splash screen animation with optimized timing
Animated navigation for news and content views

UI Polish

Revamped ComboBox styles with better visual feedback
Professional gradient backgrounds on windows and dialogs
Improved button hover effects with better visual feedback
Refined progress bar styles with theme-aware colors
Enhanced news slideshow with better navigation indicators

🎮 Installation & Environment Management

Installation Window UI Improvements

Refined App Cover
Redesigned Storage Requirements section

Move Installation per Environment Feature

NEW FEATURE: Move installed environments to different folders without re-downloading!

Relocate game installations to any folder
Preserves all game data and settings
Progress tracking during move operation
Validation checks to ensure move completed successfully

Improved Uninstall System

Environment-specific uninstall - remove individual environments
Single unified window for uninstall operations
Progress feedback during uninstallation
Success and error state handling
Clear confirmation dialogs with async operations

Enhanced Environment Handling

MAJOR FIX: Resolved critical installation path and environment handling issues!

Fixed installation path detection - launcher now correctly identifies installed games
Environment subdirectory support - folders (production/staging) properly handled
Prevented environment switching during downloads or patching
Game switch prevention - can't change games while installing/patching
Smart environment selector - automatically disabled during operations
System folder protection - prevents selecting system directories for installation

⚙️ Launcher Settings Enhancements

New Settings Options

On App Launch behavior:
- Minimize to tray
- Minimize to taskbar
- NEW: Hide completely for maximum performance
Open Cache Folder button for easy access

About Screen

NEW: Comprehensive About screen in Launcher Settings!

Launcher version information
Build ID, Timestamp, and commit details
Watermark (Can be disabled for PRO or superior plans)

Patreon - support link
Reddit - community link
Kickstarter - crowdfunding campaigns
Telegram - chat community
Threads - social updates
Custom Link - configurable URL with custom text

NEW FEATURE: Comprehensive dropdown menu from the top-left launcher logo!

Quick access to all important links
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service links
All social media links in one place
Dynamic visibility based on launcher configuration
Beautiful styling with separators and icons
Logout button (ready for Login System)

🎯 Optimized Mode Improvements

ENHANCED: Dramatically improved resource optimization during gameplay!

Even lower resource usage when games are running
Hide completely option - launcher fully hidden for maximum performance
Memory usage logging for performance monitoring
Process monitoring in Optimized Mode UI
Support for secondary executables - launch and track multiple game processes
Separate close buttons for primary and secondary executables
"Close Game" button to terminate running games from launcher
Better cleanup routines with detailed logging
Improved exit handling with error recovery

🔒 Security & Permissions

Windows Firewall Integration

NEW: Automatic firewall exception management!

Permission request dialog for firewall exceptions
Automatic rule creation when approved
Elevation request when administrative rights needed
Clear user communication about security requirements
Graceful handling when permissions denied

💾 Data Storage Improvements

Standard-Compliant Storage Locations

Logs, cache, and settings now stored in platform-standard locations
Automatic migration from old configuration files
Better organization of launcher data
Easier to find and backup settings

AppData Directory (Persistent Data)

Location: %LocalAppData%\GameLauncher\

Temp Directory (Temporary Files)

Location: %temp%\GameLauncherCache\

Enhanced Logging

Improved error logging with better context
Detailed flow markers for initialization
Thread-safe logging across services
Better diagnostic information for support

🎨 Watermark System

NEW: Game Launcher Cloud watermark

Branded watermark on splash screen and main window launcher dropdown and about launcher settings
PRO+ plan feature - disable watermark completely
Loads from cached manifest for offline support

🪟 Window Management

Dynamic Resolution Support

Expanded resolution range - from 640x360 to 8K (7680x4320)
Fixed scaling issues at smaller and very resolutions
Perfect ultra-wide monitor support
Native 4K and 8K display support

Taskbar Integration

System tray icon support with context menu
Show Launcher / Exit functionality
This prepares the Launcher for built-in notifications

📊 News & Content Improvements

Slideshow Enhancements

Fixed play/pause logic with correct icon states
Improved progress indicators with better styling
Font icon support for play/pause buttons
Better image loading with caching
Animated navigation between news items

🔄 Status & Progress Tracking

Enhanced Status Management

Real-time status updates across all UI elements
Thread-safe status changes with proper dispatching
Better error state handling with user-friendly messages
Status indicators with dynamic icons
Progress bar integration across download/install/patch operations

Download Monitoring

Debounced image cache saves to prevent excessive disk writes
Optimized background image loading for better responsiveness
Real-time speed and ETA calculations
Multi-process progress tracking

🏗️ Architecture & Code Quality

MVVM Pattern Refinement

Strict MVVM implementation across all controls
Dedicated ViewModels for each custom control
Better separation of concerns between UI and logic
Reactive properties with proper notifications
OnPush change detection for better performance

Service Refactoring

Feature-based namespace organization
Dependency injection for all services
Shared state management between services
Better service lifecycle management
Cleaner service interfaces

Code Cleanup

Removed unused code and obsolete files
Consistent naming conventions throughout codebase
Better documentation with XML comments
Improved error handling with structured logging
Resource optimization for better performance

🐛 Bug Fixes

Installation & Updates

Fixed game status not updating after download completion
Fixed installation detection across different environments
Fixed concurrent access errors during file operations
Fixed game not showing as installed when folder exists
Fixed version text visibility when game is not installed
Fixed update button progress bar state handling

UI & Visual

Fixed window transparency mode application timing
Fixed splash screen fade-out timing issues
Fixed news content not clearing on environment change
Fixed slideshow pause on timer-driven index change
Fixed favorite games normalization and ordering
Fixed alert dropdown positioning at different resolutions

Downloads & Patching

Fixed download progress not updating in all UI elements
Fixed pause/resume download state synchronization
Fixed status text updates during download operations
Fixed environment color not showing in downloads list

General

Fixed memory leaks in image cache management
Fixed thread safety issues in various services
Fixed crash on startup with certain configurations
Fixed watermark not loading from cached manifest

🖥️ Dashboard

🎨 Appearance Customization

Window Transparency Settings

NEW FEATURE: Developers can now control launcher window transparency and opacity from the Dashboard!

Window transparency mode toggle - enable/disable acrylic blur for your launcher
Launcher base opacity slider (0-100%) - control window opacity
Real-time preview of transparency changes in Dashboard
Per-launcher configuration - different settings for each project
End users see the design you configure - no user-side customization

Developer Control: These settings allow you to design your launcher's visual appearance. End users will see exactly what you configure in the Dashboard.

Progress Bar Customization

NEW FEATURE: Customize progress bar colors to match your game's theme!

Primary progress bar color - main progress indicator
Secondary progress bar color - background/track color
Color picker with hex code support
Theme preset integration - Black and Gray themes

Theme Presets

Separate Black and Gray theme options for better variety
Enhanced theme color presets documentation
Better visual feedback in theme selection

Watermark Control

PRO FEATURE: Disable Game Launcher Cloud watermark on your launchers!

Watermark toggle in launcher appearance settings
Exclusive to PRO plans and above
Clear indication of premium feature status

Enhanced Link Support

Forums URL - link to community forums
Patreon - support your project
Reddit - community discussions
Kickstarter - crowdfunding campaigns
Telegram - instant chat community
Threads - social media updates
Custom link - any URL with custom label

🏗️ Build Management

Build Size Limits and Custom Build Size Limits

NEW FEATURE: Now you can see your plan build size limits

Build size limits by your plan
Custom size limits for specific users
Temporary overrides with expiration dates

Build Filtering & Sorting

Filter builds by status and environment
Sortable columns in builds table
Pagination support for app builds list
Better build display performance with lazy loading

Build Actions

'Update to Latest Build' action in builds alert
Admin build cancellation from dashboard
Preparing upload indicator for better feedback
Improved formatting of build information

Custom Versioning

NEW FEATURE: Custom version numbering for your builds!

Custom version format configuration
Flexible versioning schemes (semantic, date-based, custom)
Validation for version format
Display customization in launcher
Per-build versioning control

Now you can set the Version Display Format in App Builds

Assign it when uploading a build

Also assign it for each build

🔐 CLI Authentication

NEW FEATURE: Browser-based authentication for CLI tool!

New CLI authentication page in dashboard
Browser-based login flow - no more manual token copy/paste
Secure token exchange between browser and CLI
Automatic authentication after browser approval
Faster poll intervals (3 seconds) for quick authentication
1-minute timeout for authentication attempts

Impact: CLI authentication is now seamless - just run the login command and approve in your browser!

✍️ News Editor Enhancements

AI-Powered Content Generation

NEW FEATURE: AI-assisted content generation for news articles!

AI title generation - suggest engaging titles
AI description writing - create compelling descriptions
Section-specific generation - target specific content areas
AI revert functionality - undo AI suggestions
Content merging - combine AI output with existing content
Smart prompting - context-aware AI suggestions

Editor Improvements

Enhanced sub-news editor UI
Better layout options markup for clarity
Improved content section layout
Checkbox tooltips for better guidance
Secondary executable labels updated

🎯 Performance Optimizations

Frontend Performance

OnPush change detection strategy across components
RxJS takeUntilDestroyed for better memory management
Computed signals for reactive updates
Virtual scrolling experiment (reverted for stability)
Reduced unnecessary re-renders

Code Quality

Refactored translation pipe usage
Improved formatting and readability
Better component organization
Cleaner template syntax

💼 Plan & Pricing Updates

Enterprise Plan

50 App builds per month (up from previous limit)
50 Launcher builds per month
100GB ZIP file limit for builds
125GB extracted size limit for builds
Enhanced support and features

Plan Features

Updated plan limits documentation
Better feature visibility in UI
Clearer premium feature indicators

🐛 Bug Fixes

Dashboard

Fixed indentation and whitespace in builds tab
Fixed badge markup for improved readability
Fixed layout option rendering in news editor
Fixed admin menu item template formatting
Fixed copyright year updated to 2026
Fixed appearance tab overlay z-index issues

Build System

Fixed active job count calculation (excluded deleted builds)
Fixed build count validation for subscription plans
Fixed build display filtering by date range

General

Fixed enableForumsUrl synchronization with form changes
Fixed custom version validation logic
Fixed build settings singleton registration

🔧 Backend (API)