A launcher that launches a launcher that launches a launcher and then that launcher needs to update to launch a launcher that needs an update to launch the game but wait i need to login to the launcher to launch the launcher that i also need to login to to launch lauanahchhcha a dhsnhennamebrbjfbnsnsbr.
Piracy is jsut objectively better. Well unless you need game patches then its painful.
I also refuse to download Epic. At least if a game's exe launches its own launcher I'm still managing it via Steam - I really don't want to have multiple lists of the games I own and have to keep multiple launchers running that hog my computer's resources. I still really want to play FF7 Remake but I won't touch it until it's on Steam.
I remember when things like Humble Bundles became a thing, I bought a couple to get games I wanted but felt bad for inflating my library with games I would literally never touch and never bought them again
Epic games don't require the launcher other than to update.