How to Disable the Splash Screens in XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2

Annoyed by the unskippable startup movies of XCOM: Enemy Unknown you have to watch and wait through every time?

Me too. Here's easy step-by-step instructions on how to disable the splash screens on PC and Windows.

Note: Same kind of change applies to XCOM 2 and many other Unreal-engine based games, whether the splash screens can be skipped or not.

How to Disable the Startup Movies in XCOM 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown

1. Find the XComEngine.ini file

By default (Replace %USERNAME% with your username):

XCOM:
C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\My Games\XCOM - Enemy Unknown\XComGame\Config\XComEngine.ini

XCOM 2:
C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\Config\XComEngine.ini

or

Find the XCOM 2 or XCOM - Enemy Unknown folder in the Documents -folder (Documents under Libraries)

By default:

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\My Games\

And in there, the 'XCOM - Enemy Unknown' or XCOM2 -folder.

In the *\XCOM - Enemy Unknown\XComGame\Config\ folder, you'll find the XComEngine.ini

2. Backup XComEngine.ini

Take a copy of XComEngine.ini, and
Rename the copy to XComEngine.ini_org or similar as a backup.

3. Edit XComEngine.ini

Comment (with semi-colon ;) or delete StartupMovies lines
You can leave 'StartupMovies=Black' in place

XCOM: EU

Find lines:

StartupMovies=Logo_2KFiraxis
StartupMovies=UE3TechLogo
StartupMovies=LogoLegal_PCConsole
StartupMovies=1280x720_Black

Delete the lines or comment them out (with semi-colon ;) like this:

;StartupMovies=Logo_2KFiraxis
;StartupMovies=UE3TechLogo
;StartupMovies=LogoLegal_PCConsole
;StartupMovies=1280x720_Black

(The game might delete the commented lines from the file on startup, thus - ALWAYS BACKUP)

XCOM 2

StartupMovies=X2_2KFXS_Logos
StartupMovies=X2_Logo
StartupMovies=UE3TechLogo_XC2
StartupMovies=XC2_LegalScreen

Delete the lines or comment them out (with semi-colon ;) like this:

;StartupMovies=X2_2KFXS_Logos
;StartupMovies=X2_Logo
;StartupMovies=UE3TechLogo_XC2
;StartupMovies=XC2_LegalScreen

(The game might delete the commented lines from the file on startup, thus - ALWAYS BACKUP)

4. Save XComEngine.ini

Save the XComEngine.ini file.

5. Start the game

Start the game eand you'll be in the main menu in seconds without the unskippable splash screens.

Want to learn how to disable the splash screens for Dishonored as well? Click here.