Reason for this meme is that some ubisoft titles are shipped with a broken version of ubisoft connect launcher. Installing these games is only possible by running the installer for the launcher again via protontricks.
...except manage the game's environment, download and install local files and updates, validate those files to make sure they're not compromised, provide an API for service integration in games, manage middleware like Gamescope or Wine...
It would be like banning all loud and annoying freight trucks inside city limits, and then wondering why food doesn't show up in stores anymore.
There are alternative launches like heroic which don't quite do the same thing, but even then you could still easily validate the game files without a launcher, they have the technology to do that lmao.
GOG is also really popular and literally just gives out .exes, a lot of people really like it.
Also steam is also a games marketplace, you can buy games on it?
The only useful thing launchers can used to do is adjust things like display settings that require reboot. Basically an INI config GUI.
This was more common back in the day probably due to the game engines. More less games require restart in recent years but that could be due to me playing more indie games and less AAA titles.
those launchers i'm ok with, because they don't ask me to log in, or take twelve minutes to start up, or try to promote a game, it's literally just a pre launch menu. That's chill.