When this skill is invoked:

Explicit invocation only: This skill should only run when the user explicitly requests it with /launch-checklist . Do not auto-invoke based on context matching.

Read the argument for the launch date or dry-run mode. Dry-run mode generates the checklist without creating sign-off entries.

Gather project context:

Read CLAUDE.md for tech stack, target platforms, and team structure
Read the latest milestone in production/milestones/
Read any existing release checklist in production/releases/
Read the content calendar in design/live-ops/content-calendar.md if it exists

Scan codebase health:

Count TODO , FIXME , HACK comments and their locations
Check for any console.log , print() , or debug output left in production code
Check for placeholder assets (search for placeholder , temp_ , WIP_ )
Check for hardcoded test/dev values (localhost, test credentials, debug flags)

Generate the launch checklist:

Launch Checklist: [Game Title]

Target Launch: [Date or DRY RUN] Generated: [Date]

1. Code Readiness

Build Health

Clean build on all target platforms
Zero compiler warnings
All unit tests passing
All integration tests passing
Performance benchmarks within targets
No memory leaks (verified via extended soak test)
Build size within platform limits
Build version correctly set and tagged in source control

Code Quality

TODO count: [N] (zero required for launch, or documented exceptions)
FIXME count: [N] (zero required)
HACK count: [N] (each must have documented justification)
No debug output in production code
No hardcoded dev/test values
All feature flags set to production values
Error handling covers all critical paths
Crash reporting integrated and verified

Security

No exposed API keys or credentials in source
Save data encrypted
Network communication secured (TLS/DTLS)
Anti-cheat measures active (if multiplayer)
Input validation on all server endpoints (if multiplayer)
Privacy policy compliance verified

2. Content Readiness

Assets

All placeholder art replaced with final assets
All placeholder audio replaced with final audio
Audio mix finalized and approved by audio director
All VFX polished and performance-verified
No missing or broken asset references
Asset naming conventions enforced

Text and Localization

All player-facing text proofread
No hardcoded strings (all externalized for localization)
All supported languages translated and verified
Text fits UI in all languages (text fitting pass complete)
Font coverage verified for all supported languages
Credits complete, accurate, and up to date

Game Content

All levels/maps playable from start to finish
Tutorial flow complete and tested with new players
All achievements/trophies implemented and tested
Save/load works correctly for all game states
Difficulty settings balanced and tested
End-game/credits sequence complete

3. Quality Assurance

Testing

Full regression test suite passed
Zero S1 (Critical) bugs open
Zero S2 (Major) bugs open (or documented exceptions)
Soak test passed (8+ hours continuous play)
Multiplayer stress test passed (if applicable)
All critical user paths tested on every platform
Edge cases tested (full storage, no network, suspend/resume)

Platform Certification

PC: Steam/Epic/GOG SDK requirements met
Console: TRC/TCR/Lotcheck submission prepared
Mobile: App Store/Play Store guidelines compliant
Accessibility: minimum standards met (remapping, text scaling, colorblind)
Age ratings obtained (ESRB, PEGI, regional)

Performance

Target FPS met on minimum spec hardware
Load times within budget on all platforms
Memory usage within budget on all platforms
Network bandwidth within targets (if multiplayer)
No frame hitches in critical gameplay moments

4. Store and Distribution

Store Pages

Store page copy finalized and proofread
Screenshots current and per-platform resolution
Trailers current and approved
Key art and capsule images finalized
System requirements accurate (PC)
Pricing configured for all regions
Pre-purchase/wishlist campaigns active (if applicable)

Legal

EULA finalized and approved by legal
Privacy policy published and linked
Third-party license attributions complete
Music/audio licensing verified
Trademark/IP clearance confirmed
GDPR/CCPA compliance verified (data collection, consent, deletion)

5. Infrastructure

Servers (if multiplayer/online)

Production servers provisioned and load-tested
Auto-scaling configured and tested
Database backups configured
CDN configured for content delivery
DDoS protection active
Monitoring and alerting configured

Analytics and Monitoring

Analytics pipeline verified and receiving data
Crash reporting active and dashboard accessible
Server monitoring dashboards live
Key metrics tracked: DAU, session length, retention, crashes
Alerts configured for critical thresholds

6. Community and Marketing

Community Readiness

Community guidelines published
Moderation team briefed and tools ready
Discord/forum/social channels set up
FAQ and known issues page prepared
Support email/ticketing system active

Marketing

Launch trailer published
Press/influencer review keys distributed
Social media launch posts scheduled
Launch day blog post/dev update drafted
Patch notes for launch version published

7. Operations

Team Readiness

On-call schedule set for first 72 hours post-launch
Incident response playbook reviewed by team
Rollback plan documented and tested
Hotfix pipeline tested (can ship emergency fix within 4 hours)
Communication plan for launch issues (who posts, where, how fast)

Day-One Plan

Day-one patch prepared (if needed)
Server unlock/go-live procedure documented
Launch monitoring dashboard bookmarked by all leads
War room/channel established for launch day

Go / No-Go Decision

Overall Status: [READY / NOT READY / CONDITIONAL]

Blocking Items

[List any items that must be resolved before launch]

Conditional Items

[List items that have documented workarounds or accepted risk]

Sign-Offs Required

Creative Director — Content and experience quality
Technical Director — Technical health and stability
QA Lead — Quality and test coverage
Producer — Schedule and overall readiness
Release Manager — Build and deployment readiness

Save the checklist to production/releases/launch-checklist-[date].md , creating directories as needed.

Output a summary to the user: total items, blocking items count, conditional items count, departments with incomplete sections, and the file path.